On the brink of a trade war with the US, Colombian President makes a surprising move

President Gustavo Petro said the Colombian government will provide loans to people working in the United States without legal documents in response to his call to return home.

US Customs and Border Protection officers monitor undocumented immigrants boarding a military aircraft in Arizona. (Source: Skynews)

On February 1, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on his country's citizens working in the United States without legal documents to quit their jobs and return home as soon as possible. According to Reuters, in a post on social network X, Mr. Petro emphasized: "Wealth is only produced by working people. Let's create social wealth in Colombia."

The Colombian government will provide loans to those who respond to his call to return home and apply for the government's startup program, said Gustavo Petro.

Petro's call comes after a bitter row with US President Donald Trump over immigration last week that nearly sparked a trade war and severed diplomatic ties between the US and Colombia, its longtime ally in South America.

Petro had previously accused the Trump administration of mistreating illegal immigrants by handcuffing them and sending military planes to deport them from the United States. Trump was furious when Petro refused to allow two flights carrying deported immigrants to land in Colombia. The two sides later negotiated amid investor criticism that Petro was undermining Colombia’s export-oriented economy, which is heavily dependent on the United States.

During 2020-2024, Colombia received 475 deportation flights from the US, the fifth most after Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador. In 2024 alone, Colombia received 124 deportation flights from the US.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ben-bo-vuc-chien-trunh-thuong-mai-voi-my-tong-thong-colombia-co-dong-thai-bat-ngo-302911.html