Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposes the US's use of military aircraft to deport migrants, refusing to allow such flights into its airspace.
"The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants like criminals. I prohibit American planes carrying Colombian migrants from entering our territory," President Petro wrote on social network X on January 26, adding that flights would only be accepted after Washington created a protocol to ensure "respectful treatment" of migrants.
In a later post, President Petro said he had "requested that US military planes carrying Colombian migrants turn back", but did not provide further details.
News agencyReutersColombia has refused two military planes carrying about 160 people, a US official said.
Mr Petro said he was willing to accept US civilian flights carrying deported migrants as long as they were not treated “like criminals”.
The comments from President Petro reflect a wave of discontent in Latin America over President Donald Trump's move to deport illegal immigrants en masse.
Brazil's foreign ministry said it would ask the US government to explain the "mistreatment" of its citizens after video emerged showing them stepping off a US plane in the northern Brazilian city of Manaus in handcuffs and shackles on January 25.
Mexico also refused to let such a flight land on January 24.
At least three US deportation flights have landed in Guatemala. The Trump administration is using both commercial and military aircraft for the operation.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on January 23 that the Trump administration had "arrested 538 criminal illegal immigrants," including a terrorism suspect, four members of the Tren de Aragua gang and several people convicted of sex crimes against minors.
President Trump said his administration would deport people with prior criminal records, claiming the campaign was going well. "We're going to deport the vicious, hardened criminals. These are the worst people you've ever seen, the worst you've ever seen. We're going to deport them first," he stressed.
LA (according to VnExpress)