Honduran President Xiomara Castro has called for an urgent meeting with the presidents and heads of state from Latin American and Caribbean nations following a dramatic (and embarrassing for Colombia) escalation in tensions triggered by a threat made by President Donald Trump. As I reported on Sunday, Petro refused to accept deportation flights from the United States carrying illegal immigrants. In response, Trump threatened the nation with a 25 percent tariff on all Colombian goods entering the United States, which was set to increase to 50 percent within a week, along with travel bans and visa revocations targeting Colombian government officials.
Petro then tried to turn the tables on Trump by threatening him with a 50 percent tariff on U.S. goods.
However, just minutes later, Petro quickly changed his mind and said he would accept the flights. Petro’s quick backslide caused ripples across the country and drew sharp responses from several governments who said his response was embarrassing.
“As President Pro Tempore (PPT) of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), I hereby call an urgent meeting of presidents and heads of state next Thursday, January 30, at 11:00 am (Honduras time),” Castro wrote on X. The gathering is expected to be held “in a hybrid format.”
Castro released a memo stating that the meeting would focus on migration, Latin American and Caribbean unity, and the environment.
The Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), currently held by the Republic of Honduras, presents its kind regards to all the National Coordinators of the Member States of CELAC, on the occasion of reporting that President Iris Xiomara Castro is calling an URGENT Extraordinary Meeting of Presidents and Heads of State of CELAC for next Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. (Honduras).
In this regard, it is reported that said meeting has been scheduled in a hybrid format. It is also worth noting that His Excellency Gustavo Petro Urrego, President of the Republic of Colombia, incoming PPT of CELAC, has confirmed his participation in person in Tegucigalpa.
Agenda ItemsMigration,
Environment,
Latin American and Caribbean Unity.
The Pro-Tempore Presidency (PPT) of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) takes this opportunity to express to all the National Coordinators of the Member States of CELAC its High and Distinguished Consideration.”
On Sunday, Petro was caught in a diplomatic tug-of-war with Trump over the treatment of deportees, claiming that illegal immigrants are not “criminals” despite entering the United States illegally.
“That’s why I turned back the US military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants. I cannot allow migrants to remain in a country that does not want them, but if that country sends them back, it must be with dignity and respect for them and for our country. We will receive our fellow citizens on civilian planes without treating them like criminals. Colombia is respected,” he said in a statement.
However, Petro quickly accepted the terms and came to an agreement with Trump and said that 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.”
Petro’s swift reversal highlights just how powerful Trump’s administration remains and the significant influence he still has over other countries. If former President Joe Biden were in office, Colombia would likely be pushing the U.S. around.
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