International
A deported Colombian says that in the United States they did not respect his rights and received inhuman treatment
Jose Erik Montaña, one of the 201 Colombians deported from the US who arrived in Bogotá this Tuesday on two flights of the Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC), said that in the North American country they did not respect their rights and received inhumane treatment.
“They want (the US Government) to blame their problems on migrants who cannot defend themselves (…) They did not give us rights, they did not tell us anything, they made us sign mandatory documents and it was horrible, it was really inhumane treatment,” Montaña told journalists when arriving at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá on a flight from El Paso (Texas).
Montaña said that he entered the United States last week fleeing the Colombian armed conflict.
His goal was to reunite in that country with his family, but once he got there he was arrested along with a Mexican and other people by the authorities.
“They handcuffed us from the hands to the ankles, the hips, we were like criminals. There were children who had to see their mothers chained as if they were drug addicts, traffickers, when they really were people who wanted a better future for their families,” said Montaña, who after being deported does not know what to do because his whole family is in the United States.
According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, 201 people, including adults and children, arrived on the two flights, deported by the US government.
On the first flight, coming from El Paso, 91 passengers came, of whom 46 were men and 45 women, while on the second, which arrived from San Diego (California), 110 people were traveling, of them 62 men, 32 women and 16 minors.
“They are Colombians, they are free and dignified and they are in their homeland where they are loved. The migrant is not a criminal, he is a human being who wants to work and progress, live life,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in a message published on the social network X in which he shared photos of citizens getting off the plane.
The Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, pointed out that the migrants were received by a delegation of the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the FAC, Migration Colombia, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá and the Red Cross.
This is the first of the two aircraft with deportees that are expected to arrive in Bogotá today. According to the Foreign Ministry, the second plane, coming from San Diego, will land “in minutes” at El Dorado airport.
Early in the morning, Colombian President Gustavo Petro published a photo taken inside one of the planes in which the deportees are seen without handcuffs, as requested by the president, who demanded from Washington a “dignified treatment” for them.
Alexander, another of the deported Colombians, told journalists that he had arrived in El Paso 12 days ago requesting asylum, which is why he was deported this Tuesday.
“What we don’t know is why they brought us on a Colombian Air Force plane,” added Alexander, who had migrated looking for “better economic stability” and had crossed to the United States across the border with Mexico.
Although Alexander says that during the time he was detained in the United States they had him in “acceptable conditions”, he revealed that he was handcuffed and tied “by “feet, hands and waist.”
On the return flight to Colombia, he added, he received “excellent treatment.”
The Foreign Ministry said on Monday in a statement that the Government arranged these planes to bring back home “110 compatriots deported from the United States, complying with the protocols established for the dignified return and with guaranteed rights to compatriots who arrive on deportation flights.”
The Colombian president initially rejected on Sunday two planes sent by the United States with deportees, which caused the unprecedented diplomatic crisis with that North American country
Petro’s statement led US President Donald Trump to order the imposition of 25% tariffs on all Colombian products, in addition to other travel and immigration sanctions.
Petro responded with the principle of reciprocity and ordered the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Luis Carlos Reyes, to “raise import tariffs from the US by 25%.”
However, the White House closed the crisis with Colombia over the repatriations of immigrants by assuring late on Sunday that the Government in Bogotá accepted “all the terms of President Trump” in this regard.
That includes “the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal foreigners from Colombia returned from the United States, included in military aircraft, without limitations or delays.”
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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