Colombian President Gustavo Petro has made a public appeal to undocumented Colombians residing in the United States to return home and participate in government-funded business programs. This initiative follows a period of heightened tensions between Colombia and the U.S. over immigration policies, particularly regarding the alleged mistreatment of migrants during deportation processes.
Colombia n President Gustavo Petro has issued a call to his compatriots residing in the United States without legal status to return home and participate in government-backed business programs. In a message posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, Petro stated, 'Wealth is only produced by the working people. Let's build social wealth in Colombia .
' He further emphasized that his administration would extend loans to individuals who heed his call and engage in these entrepreneurial endeavors. This initiative comes amidst a history of contentious relations between Colombia and the United States regarding immigration.Earlier this year, Petro's criticism of the Trump administration's handling of migrants, particularly the alleged use of military flights to deport individuals, nearly escalated into a trade war and diplomatic crisis. Petro accused the Trump administration of mistreating migrants who entered the U.S. illegally by handcuffing them and forcibly transporting them on military flights back to Latin America. The situation intensified when Petro denied landing permission for two such flights, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Trump administration.Subsequently, both countries engaged in negotiations to de-escalate the tensions, particularly due to concerns raised by Colombian investors who feared that Petro's actions were jeopardizing the nation's export-oriented economy, heavily reliant on U.S. purchases. According to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group monitoring deportation flights, Colombia received 475 such flights from the U.S. between 2020 and 2024, placing it fifth among recipient countries, trailing Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador. In 2024 alone, Colombia accepted 124 deportation flights.
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