LatinNews Daily - 09 February 2026

Colombia: On 29 January Colombia’s foreign ministry announced that repatriation flights for Colombian citizens deported from the US would resume. In a social media post, the ministry stated that the decision was taken “in line with our commitment to dignified treatment for our fellow citizens, under the leadership of President Gustavo Petro, and in cooperation with the Colombian air force”.  Controversy surrounding the flights initially broke out just over a year earlier, when Petro blocked two US military planes carrying deported migrants from landing in the country, writing on social media that, “a migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves”, and that if migrants are to be returned it must be done “in civilian planes, without treating them as criminals”. In response, US President Donald Trump threatened Colombia with 50% tariffs, among other measures. Though Colombia subsequently agreed to accept the flights, this arrangement did not last, with the Colombian government reportedly suspending flight permits in May, arguing that the US had failed to comply with the terms of the deal. With bilateral relations tense over the past year, and Trump even hinting last month that the US could launch military operations on Colombian soil, the resumption of flights was widely considered an attempt by Colombia to ease tensions ahead of the 3 February meeting between Trump and Petro, which both leaders described as positive.

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