As Deportation Flights continue, Colombians face visa suspensions amid dispute

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The third deportation flight from the U.S landed Tuesday at Bogotá's CATAM base. Photo: Cancillería.

The third deportation flight since the diplomatic crisis erupted between U.S President Donald Trump and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro landed in Bogotá on Tuesday morning, carrying 105 Colombians, including 21 minors, from San Diego, California. The Colombian government, alongside officials from the Foreign Ministry, Colombian Air Force, National Police, and Migration Colombia, oversaw the arrival of the deportees. The Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF) took custody of the minors.

Colombians are bracing for the broader consequences of the ongoing diplomatic dispute, which erupted after President Gustavo Petro refused to accept deportation flights from the U.S., prompting Washington to retaliate with visa restrictions. Given unprecedented tensions between Washington and Bogotá, the Colombian peso has stayed on track to the greenback, a clear indication that the crisis has hedged the

The controversy erupted when President Petro released a social media post on “X” at 3:41 a.m., in which he condemned U.S. immigration policies and accused Washington of treating deportees inhumanely. The post has sparked widespread criticism, not only for its content but also for what many see as Petro’s growing reliance on social media as his primary mode of governance. Opposition leaders have raised concerns over the President’s “twitter finger”, questioning his ability to handle critical diplomatic matters through official channels rather than impulsive online declarations. Declarations that had the potential to put thousands of jobs at risk, as well as the imposition of heafty tarrifs on goods and services.

Despite then-Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo’s assurances that the “impasse” has been “resolved,”  the narrative from the White House shows it clearly isn’t.  The U.S. government has stated that visa restrictions, including the suspension of all scheduled visa appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, will stay in place until Colombia fully complies with the deportation flights. Meanwhile, reports from Bogotá indicate that dozens of visa applicants arrived at the U.S. Embassy only to find their long-confirmed appointments canceled without prior notice.

President Petro has publicly denounced that the deportations lack dignity and that the migrants returning to Colombia “are not criminals.” The Trump administration has responded by revoking visas for Colombian officials, their families, members of the ruling Colombia Humana party, and its supporters.

While Bogotá has now agreed to use a Colombian Air Force plane to repatriate undocumented Colombians, Washington insists that all recently detained migrants must be returned before any sanctions are lifted.

The economic ramifications of the standoff are already being felt. Both Trump and Petro have hinted at imposing tariffs on each other’s exports, and Colombia’s financial markets reacted negatively to the dispute. The price of oil – Colombia’s largest export – declined following fears of potential trade disruptions. Last year, 41% of Colombia’s seaborne crude exports went to the U.S., making the potential for economic fallout even greater.

Adding to the diplomatic strain, several deportees have spoken out about their treatment by U.S. authorities. Some described being handcuffed, detained under harsh conditions, and denied access to family contact. “They treated us like prisoners. The conditions were horrible,” said José Erick, one of the deportees returned from El Paso, Texas. Local media reports also suggest that many deportees were held without access to family members during their detention.

Despite Petro’s claims that relations with the U.S. are “strengthened,” the situation remains volatile, and as the diplomatic standoff continues, with both nations facing long-term economic and political consequences to trade, the fight against illegal narcotics, development funding through USAID and tourism.