Published 21:46 IST, January 28th 2025
Will Return A Gringo: Colombian President’s Daughter Takes a Jab at Trump In Tariff Clash
She paired the statement with a lighthearted meme of dolphins jumping through the air under a rainbow.
- World News
- 3 min read
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New Delhi, India: Andrea Petro, the daughter of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, made a social media comment after the White House threatened to impose tariffs on Colombia. Petro took to the social media platform X on January 27 to throw shade at US President Donald Trump and comment on the ongoing diplomatic tensions.
"For every Colombian deported we will return a gringo from the Poblado," Petro wrote in a cheeky post.
She paired the statement with a lighthearted meme of dolphins jumping through the air under a rainbow, which some reports suggest might be a playful reference to the red-light district in Medellin, a city that has become a popular destination for US tourists. The comment seems to be aimed at the US's continued deportation of Colombians while also drawing attention to the American presence in certain parts of Colombia.
The term "gringo" is a slang term often used in Latin American countries to refer to Americans, sometimes with a negative or playful connotation. In context, Ms. Petro's message may have been a direct challenge to US policies, particularly the pressure Washington has placed on Colombia to accept deportations.
This comes after an incident last year, when a 36-year-old US citizen was accused of trafficking underage girls in Medellin and fled the country before Colombian authorities could intervene. The incident led President Gustavo Petro to publicly request the US government to extradite the suspect.
The diplomatic strain between the two nations began in earnest after President Gustavo Petro's government expressed resistance to accepting deportation flights from the US. The left-wing leader, who assumed office in 2022, proposed a different approach to managing undocumented migrants. Petro suggested that Colombia could send its own presidential plane to bring deported Colombians back from the US "with dignity" and insisted that those deported should not be treated like criminals. Additionally, he pointed out that more than 15,000 undocumented Americans were living in Colombia, but his administration rejected the idea of carrying out raids to arrest them. Instead, he urged the undocumented individuals to “regularize their situation.”
In response, the White House initially threatened to impose sanctions on Colombia over its refusal to cooperate with deportations. However, following negotiations, the US suspended the sanctions after Colombia agreed to accept the deportation terms under specific conditions. Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo confirmed that Colombia would continue receiving deported citizens, even as the tensions were eased.
The spat between the two countries has drawn global attention, with the White House declaring victory after the resolution, emphasizing that “America is respected again.” President Trump, commenting on the situation, praised the outcome and said that it serves as a global example of America’s influence.
Updated 21:46 IST, January 28th 2025