(KGTV) — On Sunday, President Trump threatened massive tariffs and sanctions on Colombia after its president, Gustavos Petros, refused two repatriation flights carrying undocumented immigrants back into the country.
Petros said he was rejecting the flights because the undocumented immigrants on board were not being treated humanely.
However, by Sunday evening, Petros had reportedly agreed to all of Trump's terms, which included allowing those flights into Colombia.
Initially, when Petros blocked the two flights, Trump said he was going to impose an immediate 25-percent tariff on all Colombian goods and double it to 50 percent in one week.
Trump posted on social media that he would also enforce a travel ban, visa sanctions, harsher inspections on cargo, and more on Colombians.
ABC 10News spoke with national security and international relations expert Ron Bee, who said Petros had to cave in because of the tariffs.
"It would have affected Colombia greatly because they've got $15 to $16 billion worth of trade every year with the United States, and most of that's in coffee and petroleum and cut flowers," Bee said.
Bee said the tariffs would have cost $44 billion in the first week, then $88 billion when the tariffs doubled, which would be half the amount of trade they do with the United States. He also said the U.S. already has economic leverage over Colombia, holding a $3.6 billion dollar surplus on Colombian goods.
Bee said Trump's message to Petros was clear: "You need us more than we need you."
Bee also believes Trump was playing hardball with Petros because a precedent had to be set when it came to deportation flights.
"This signals how serious [Trump] is about making sure that those that have come to our country and are creating crimes need to go back to their country of origin," Bee said. "He's already set the precedent with Mexico and Canada. He threatened a 25% tariff on everything that comes into this country because they were not dealing with the border and the Fentanyl coming across the border."
According to the White House Press Secretary, the sanctions will now be "held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement."
The Press Secretary also said, "The visa sanctions and enhanced inspections from customs and border protection will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned."
The full statement from the White House said:
"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. Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation's sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States."
