Cooperate or else: Trump’s Colombia is a warning for all leaders
In less than a week of his presidency, Donald Trump has been entangled in his first international tariff controversy for some time. And the target was not China, Mexico or Canada – which was often the subject of his anger – it was Colombia, one of the closest allies in the US in South America.
Colombia’s crime was to refuse to allow two US flights carrying out the exiles to take off as they were military, not civilians, transport aircraft. This was sufficient to threaten Trump to pour a hammer.
Trump posted on his social media site, “We would not allow the Colombian government to accept criminals and violate his legal obligations regarding their return, which he forced in the United States.”
In addition to 25% tariff, he said he would impose, Trump said that the US would restore the journey ban and “immediate visa” on Colombian government officials, as well as its colleagues and supporters.
But later, the White House stated that Colombia has now agreed to accept migrants coming from American military aircraft “without any limit or delay”. As a result, the US will not proceed with tariffs.
During its first week in the office, the US President was giving priority to executive action on immigration compared to trade measures – even though the latter was a major campaign promise. As if to bring the point to home, Trump is now ready to punish countries that he believes that he is not adequately supporting the new rigorous immigration policies of America.
He is warning American colleagues and opponents equally: if you do not cooperate with America, the results will be serious.
Columbia Tariff has retreated from war, but this strategy is an examination for the new Trump administration.
If the prices for American consumers increase due to future sanctions, will the American public object? Will they be willing to bear some financial troubles raised to carry forward Trump’s immigration priorities?
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the US imports about 27% of its coffee from Colombia, as well as other items such as bananas, crude oil, avocado and flowers. The import of coffee alone is about $ 2 billion (£ 1.6 billion).
Colombian President Gustavo Petro initially reacted saying that his country would “accept citizens who came back on civil aircraft, without treating them like criminals”.
It is no secret that Petro does not like Donald Trump – he has strongly criticized his policies on migration and environment in the past.
In a long response to the X, he stated that Trump said “would erase human species” and accused the US President of considering the Colombians as “inferior caste”.
Petro described himself as “stubborn” and said that while Trump can try to “throt” with “economic strength and ego”, in short, he will fight back.
Most importantly, Petro said: “From today, Colombia is open with open arms for the whole world.”
This is such that an American President should be worried who wants to deal with migration. Officials of his upcoming administration have made it clear that the mission will need to be seen beyond the Mexico border.
Christopher Landau, who was selected by Trump for the post of Deputy Foreign Minister, has long argued that “working with other countries to prevent such migrant flow” should be “the global imperative of US foreign policy”. Due to Sunday’s quarrel, the chances of working together can be very low.
Every year from all over the world, from India to China, thousands of migrants go to the US north after entering South America and travel through the Darian Gap via Colombia – who are north of the Panama -Kolambia border just north of the border There is a major inhibitory point in. It is a dangerous journey that criminal gangs usually help.
In his response to Trump’s actions, President Petro said that if the conversation on the management of the migration through Darian was suspended, “illegal activities would increase”. Those comments can be seen as an indirect danger for more non-promoted migrants on the way.
Petro immediately stated that his country would not refuse the Colombian citizens exempted from the US – only that they should get “dignified behavior”.
Even after Columbia took action to calm the dispute, he said that negotiations would be continued for “guarantee of dignity of our citizens”.
But these types of tariffs are willing power tests – and can still be applied to other countries that do not agree with America’s demands. It is Trump’s initial step to see.
