Colombian President Gustavo Petro's daughter, Andrea Petro, has thrown shade at US President Donald Trump after the White House threatened tariffs on the South American country. Ms Andrea took to social media to suggest that Colombia should send 'gringos' (a slang term, often used to describe Americans) back to the US for every Colombian deported.
"For every Colombian deported we will return a gringo from the Poblado," wrote Ms Petro in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday (Jan 27).
Alongside the rather cheeky message, she posted a meme of dolphins jumping from the sea under a rainbow-crested sky. As per a report in the New York Post, Ms Petro was allegedly referring to the red light district in the city of Medellin, which has become a hub for US tourists seeking prostitutes.
In April last year, a 36-year-old US citizen was caught in a hotel room in the city with two underage girls -- just 12 and 13 years old. Before the Colombian authorities could arrest him, the American left the country leading to President Petro appealing to the US government to have the accused extradited.
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What is happening between Colombia and the US?
The two countries jostled with each other after Colombia tried to refuse deportation flights from the US. Mr Petro, a Left leader, who was elected as the Colombian president in 2022, said his government was ready to send its presidential plane to the US to transport the migrants "with dignity".
After the US military planes were sent back, Mr Petro said he was ready to allow civilian US flights carrying deported migrants to land as long as those aboard were not treated "like criminals". He said over 15,000 undocumented Americans are living in his country, but ruled out raids to arrest and deport them. Instead, he urged them to "regularise their situation".
The White House later said the Trump administration suspended the sanctions after Colombia agreed to its terms. Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said Bogota will continue receiving Colombians who return as deportees.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt declared victory saying: "Today's events make clear to the world that America is respected again."
President Trump echoed similar sentiments on Monday, telling reporters on Air Force One that "it serves the world well to look at" the Colombia spat.
