By MANUEL RUEDA and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, Related Press
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Visa appointments on the U.S. Embassy in Colombia have been canceled Monday following a dispute between President Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro over deportation flights from the U.S. that just about was a expensive commerce battle between the 2 nations.
Dozens of Colombians arrived on the U.S. Embassy in Bogota and have been handed letters by native employees that mentioned their appointments had been canceled “due to the Colombian government’s refusal to accept repatriation flights of Colombian nationals” over the weekend.
Afterward Monday, Colombia’s International Affairs Ministry mentioned the federal government was sending a Colombian Air Drive aircraft to San Diego to select up a bunch of Colombians who have been on a deportation flight that was not allowed to land on Sunday morning.
A lady reads a notification about canceling her visa appointment resulting from Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s refusal to simply accept repatriation flights for Colombian residents from america, outdoors the U.S. embassy in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photograph/Fernando Vergara)
The victory claimed in Washington turned Colombia into an instance of what different nations may face in the event that they stand in the way in which of Trump’s unlawful immigration crackdown. It additionally placed on show a conflict with a leftist chief of a rustic that had lengthy been a U.S. accomplice towards drug trafficking.
State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned Monday the Trump administration will take motion if nations don’t abide by their agreements, resembling accepting deportees.
Colombians, like most non-U.S. residents, require a visa to journey to america for tourism, enterprise or different functions.
Folks stand outdoors the U.S. embassy in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, the place they have been notified their visa appointments have been canceled resulting from Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s refusal to simply accept repatriation flights of Colombian residents from america. (AP Photograph/Fernando Vergara)
However in Colombia it may take as much as two years to get a visa appointment at the united statesembassy in Bogotá, which has additionally been dealing with visa requests from neighboring Venezuela for a number of years. Those that had their Monday appointments cancelled will probably have to attend a number of months for a brand new appointment. And plenty of mentioned they have been annoyed with the sudden cancellations.
“President Petro did not represent our interests,” mentioned Elio Camelo, a U.S. visa seeker from the town of Cali who had traveled to Bogota for his appointment.
“There is a lot of uncertainty now over what will happen next,” mentioned Mauricio Manrique, who had his Monday morning appointment canceled. He had traveled from Popayan, about 600 kilometers (about 370 miles) south of Bogota, for his appointment.
Gloria Camacho holds a notification stating her visa appointment was canceled, resulting from Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s refusal to simply accept repatriation flights of Colombian residents from the U.S., outdoors the U.S. embassy in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photograph/Fernando Vergara)
Tensions between Colombia and america escalated Sunday after Petro wrote an early morning message on X saying he wouldn’t enable two U.S. Air Drive planes carrying Colombian deportees to land within the nation.
Petro additionally shared a video that confirmed one other group of deportees reportedly arriving in Brazil with shackles on their legs. He mentioned Colombia would solely settle for deportation flights when america had established protocols that ensured the “dignified treatment” of expelled migrants.
Trump responded with a submit of his personal on Fact Social, wherein he referred to as for 25% emergency tariffs on Colombian exports to america, and in addition mentioned that the U.S. visas of Colombian authorities officers can be revoked, whereas items coming from the South American nation would face enhanced customs inspections.
In the meantime, the State Division mentioned Sunday it could cease issuing visas to Colombian nationals till deportation flights resumed.
Tensions decreased Sunday night time following negotiations between the nations, with the White Home saying in a press release that Colombia had allowed the resumption of deportation flights and “agreed to all of President Trump’s terms,” together with the arrival of deportees on navy flights.
Final yr Colombia accepted 124 deportation flights. However these have been constitution flights organized by U.S. authorities contractors.
The White Home mentioned tariffs on Colombian exports can be placed on maintain, however added that visa restrictions on Colombian officers and enhanced customized inspections would stay “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”
A State Division spokesperson mentioned Monday the company had no updates on when visas for Colombian vacationers would once more be issued on the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.
Final yr, greater than 1.6 million Colombians traveled to the U.S. legally, in accordance with a report by the Ministry of Commerce. The report mentioned america was the highest vacation spot for Colombians touring overseas.
Initially Revealed: January 27, 2025 at 11:44 AM EST
