Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called on his fellow citizens working in the United States without legal status to leave their jobs and return to Colombia as soon as possible. In a post on the social media platform X, he emphasized that “wealth is only produced by the working people” and urged Colombians to help build the nation’s social wealth.
Petro’s government is offering financial support in the form of loans to individuals who decide to return and participate in programs designed to help them start businesses.
His comments came after a heated dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump over immigration, which almost led to a trade conflict and strained diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Colombia. The disagreement began when Petro accused the Trump administration of mistreating migrants who had entered the U.S. illegally, including by handcuffing them and sending them back to Latin America on military flights. Trump responded angrily when Petro refused to allow two such flights to land in Colombia.
After tensions between the U.S. and Colombia escalated, the two countries managed to negotiate a truce. This came in response to concerns from investors who feared that President Petro’s stance could harm Colombia’s export economy, which depends significantly on trade with the U.S.
From 2020 to 2024, Colombia accepted a total of 475 deportation flights from the U.S., ranking fifth after Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador. In 2024 alone, Colombia accepted 124 deportation flights.