Colombia’s New Conservative President Announces Mass Deportations

Colombia is ushering in a new era of conservative immigration policies after its citizens elected a Right-wing president to replace the country’s previous far-Left leader.

Newly elected Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said Sunday that he would commence immigration raids across the country as early as this week, according to the Associated Press.

The conservative Latin American leader, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, said national immigration authorities, with the help of the Colombian police, will begin the operation by targeting illegal immigrants who are “committing crimes” before nabbing those who lack immigration status, according to the AP.

“I will not accept any illegal immigrants, wherever they come from,” de la Espriella said in a video. “They will have to leave and be deported. It is a political decision I am taking responsibility for.”

The majority of migrants living in Colombia hail from neighboring Venezuela, according to the AP. Roughly 2.8 million Venezuelan nationals were living in Colombia as of August.

In 2021, Colombia granted temporary residence permits to roughly 2.3 million Venezuelan migrants, the AP reported. But it appears the new president is looking to turn the tide on the country’s years-long policy of amnesty.

Upon de la Espriella’s election, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he “looks forward to working closely” with the new president to “end illegal immigration to the United States,” among other initiatives.

In recent months, several Latin American countries, including Honduras, Costa Rica, Chile, Bolivia, and Ecuador, have elected Right-wing leaders.

At one point, Colombia’s previous leftist president, Gustavo Petro, temporarily refused to accept deportation flights from the United States. The move led to icy relations with Washington before Petro ultimately caved after Trump threatened new tariffs.

“The U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals,” Petro said upon denying the arrival of the planes.

De la Espriella, who was sworn in three weeks ago, has signaled that he will usher in a new era of warm relations with the United States.