Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the suspension of visa issuance at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, the State Department said Sunday.
In a media note, the State Department’s Office of the Spokesperson said the secretary “immediately ordered a suspension of visa issuance at the U.S. Embassy Bogota consular section” in the wake of the non-acceptance by Colombian President Gustavo Petro of “two repatriation flights he previously authorized.”
“Secretary Rubio is now authorizing travel sanctions on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations,” the media note reads. “Measures will continue until Colombia meets its obligations to accept the return of its own citizens. America will not back down when it comes to defending its national security interests.”
A subsequent statement from the White House press secretary noted, “The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay. Based on this agreement, the fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement. The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”
In a post on Truth Social earlier on Sunday, President Trump said he “was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia.”
“This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people,” he added.
Trump added that the Colombian president’s “denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States,” and that, therefore, he had “directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures,” including U.S.-bound goods facing tariffs of 25 percent and the prohibition of travel “on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.”
