A short-lived immigration policy dispute between the United States and Colombia has ended. The South American nation agreed to accept flights bringing deported Colombian nationals from the United States. Colombia initially refused to accept the flights but backed down when President Donald Trump threatened heavy tariffs. However, the dispute resolution has done little to ease tensions between the U.S. and its allies.

Colombia allows deportation flights after tariff threat

CNN reported that Colombia agreed on Sunday evening to “all of President Trump’s terms” concerning flights from the United States bringing deported Colombians to Colombia. As Blavity reported, Colombia initially blocked two U.S. military flights being used to deport Colombian nationals from landing in the country earlier on Sunday. Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed concerns about the treatment of migrants being deported from the U.S. After Colombia rejected the two military flights from landing, Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Colombia before they rose to 50% within a week in retaliation for the country’s opposition. After reaching a deal to allow flights to land, including using the Colombian presidential plane to fly deported nationals to Colombia, the White House agreed not to enforce the tariffs. However, it stated that sanctions against Colombian officials would remain until the first plane successfully repatriated migrants to Colombia.

Latin American governments express anger against U.S.

Although the deal has been painted as a win for Trump, Petro remains defiant against the American leader. The Colombian president posted a lengthy Spanish tweet strongly criticizing Trump. In a translation posted by social media personality Ed Krassenstien, the tweet condemned slavery, racism and the oppression of labor leaders in the United States.

“I don’t shake hands with white slavers,” Petro said near the end of the translated tweet. “I shake hands with the white libertarian heirs of Lincoln and the black and white farm boys of the USA, at whose graves I cried and prayed on a battlefield…”

The government of neighboring Brazil is reportedly demanding answers from the United States after Brazilian migrants reportedly arrived chained and handcuffed on deportation flights from the U.S.

Trump administration creating tensions with U.S. allies

The dispute with Colombia is the latest example of Trump raising tensions with U.S. allies and using threats to pressure friendly nations. Trump has used the threat of tariffs to pressure other American allies, including neighboring Canada and Mexico, to cooperate with his policies on issues such as the flow of people and drugs across the borders of the United States. Trump’s pressure on Canada contributed to the resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump has even threatened to use force to take territory from other countries, such as reclaiming the Panama Canal from Panama or taking control of Greenland, a territory of Denmark.

Colombia and Brazil have been added to the growing list of allied countries experiencing tensions with the United States due to Trump’s actions or threats. With deportation, tight border control and tariffs emerging as significant parts of Trump’s policy agenda, tensions will likely spread as the American president attempts to pressure countries to follow his demands.

ColombiaDonald trump