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Colombia's president calls Trump 'white slaver' after US deports migrants in shackles

Trump threatened trade war with Colombia after President Gustavo Petro refuses deportation of Colombians without 'dignified treatment'
Undocumented migrants in shackles prepare to board a US military plane for a deportation flight at Fort Bliss, Texas, on 23 January 2025.
Undocumented migrants in shackles prepare to board a US military plane for a deportation flight at Fort Bliss, Texas, on 23 January 2025 (Nicholas De La Pena/DVIDS/AFP)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro hit out at his US counterpart Donald Trump in a fiery message, calling Trump a "white slaver" who is on track to "wipe out the human species" after Petro refused to accept two military planes containing deported migrants who were shackled and handcuffed by US authorities.

Petro's initial refusal prompted Trump to invoke a possible trade war with the threat of tariffs, beginning with 25 percent on all Colombian imports and increasing to 50 percent.

Both sides ultimately came to a resolution, with Colombia saying that no American military personnel would be aboard the deportation flights and military aircraft would only be used as a last resort. Petro said he would never accept Colombians being sent back in handcuffs. 

Colombia's foreign minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, said that Petro's airplane would be ready to take in Colombians deported from the US and that the country would "continue receiving the Colombians who return as deportees, guaranteeing them conditions of dignity".

The Trump administration, meanwhile, backed down on its tariff threat.

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However, despite coming to an agreement, Petro took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and published a lengthy message aimed at the new US president.

"I don't like your oil, Trump, you're going to wipe out the human species because of greed," Petro said.

"You don't like our freedom, okay. I don't shake hands with white slavers."

Petro added that if the US were to impose tariffs on Colombia, then Bogota would return the favour.

"You can try to carry out a coup with your economic strength and your arrogance, like they did with Allende. But I will die in my law, I resisted torture and I resist you," Petro said, referring to former Chilean socialist President Salvatore Allende, who was overthrown with the help of the US.

The White House said in a statement that Colombia agreed to all of Trump’s terms, including the “unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on US military aircraft, without limitation or delay”.

“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again,” the White House said.

Since entering office last week, the Trump administration has enacted several sweeping immigration-related executive orders aimed at stopping people from entering the US through the southern border.

Trump has also threatened to use tariffs against several countries, from Washington's neighbours Canada and Mexico to its global rival, China.

The US president has suggested that using heavy tariffs on trade from other countries would boost government revenue and help put a dent into the country's national debt, which currently stands at $36 trillion.

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