Colombian president Gustavo Petro reported last Wednesday the existence of an alleged coup against him orchestrated by the United States Republican Party and a former Petro Minister, former chancer Álvaro Leyva.
Petro’s accusation is just another chapter in the quarrel between the Colombian left -wing leader and the United States. Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January this year, diplomatic relations between the two countries have shuddered for reasons ranging from the deportation of illegal immigrants, commercial sanctions and to the revocation of diplomatic visas to the South American politician.
Illegal Immigrant Repatriation
The first round between Trump and Petro took place only six days after the American was sworn in on January 26 this year. At the time, the Colombian President had refused two US military flights that took illegal US immigrants from the US to his home country.
In response to refusal, Donald Trump announced that his government would impose sanctions against Colombia. Among the measures considered by Washington, an emergency rate of 25% over all products from the Latin American country and Sanctions to the Treasury and the Colombian financial sector were announced.
“I just be informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of illegal criminals were not allowed to land in Colombia,” said Trump. “The refusal of these flights from Petro endangered national security and public security in the United States.”
Petro, in turn, Gustavo Petro stated that the US could not treat Colombian immigrants as criminals. “Disagree with the entry of US aircraft with Colombian immigrants to our territory. The US must establish a protocol of decent treatment for immigrants before we receive them.”
A day later, however, the United States government considered the crisis as “closed” as soon as Bogota accepted “all terms” presented by Trump, such as “unrestricted acceptance of all unlawful foreign foreigners from the United States, including military aircraft, without limitations or delays.”
Petro Repealed Visa
About three months after the clash of the deportations of immigrants, Gustavo Petro said on April 21 that Donald Trump’s government had revoked his visa and therefore he could no longer travel to the United States.
“I can’t go anymore because I think they took my visa. I wouldn’t need a visa, but okay. I’ve seen Donald Duck several times, so I’ll see other things,” Petro mocked a cabinet meeting held at Nariño’s house, the Colombian executive’s headquarters.
There was no response from Trump administration about the case at the time.
Supposed coup d’état
In the latest chapter of the crisis between Colombia and the United States, Gustavo Petro reported last Wednesday (2), the existence of an alleged coup against him and an alleged conspiracy of his former chancer Álvaro Leyva. According to the newspaper The country He reported over the weekend, Leyva would have contacted US Republican Party politicians to allegedly overthrow the leftist president.
According to this alleged plan, Leyva, an 82-year-old conservative who had public disagreements with his former collaborator, met two months ago in the US with Republican Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart. Then he would have tried to meet the legislator Carlos Giménez, both Republican representatives by Florida.
With the meeting, the former Diplomat would have sought to approach Secretary Rubio and exercise “international pressure” against Petro to put the vice president, Francia Márquez, in his place.
