Bogota: Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who recently reversed a decision to turn away U.S. military planes carrying undocumented migrants, made a bold appeal to Colombians living in the U.S.: return to Colombia and “build social wealth”.
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, elected in 2022, issued the request on social media Friday morning, urging undocumented Colombians to immediately leave their jobs in the U.S. and return to their homeland. “Let’s build social wealth in Colombia,” he wrote in a post on X.
In his message, Petro announced that Colombia’s Department of Social Prosperity would provide loans to migrants who take up the offer. While he did not provide specific details on the loans, they are typically small, aimed at supporting productive activities that address poverty in Colombia.
This new initiative comes just days after Petro faced diplomatic tension with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had threatened tariffs and sanctions when Colombia initially refused to accept military flights bringing deported migrants from the U.S. Petro reversed his stance on Sunday, agreeing to accept the migrants, ending a brief standoff with the U.S.
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The Colombian government estimates that approximately 200,000 undocumented Colombians live in the U.S., according to Pew Research Center. With a population of about 53 million, Petro’s call for migration reversal has sparked diverse reactions online, with some praising the idea, while others criticized it.
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X user Una Tathy X responded, “Many young professionals who have recently graduated (in Colombia) haven’t been able to find a job. First help those who are here,” reflecting a growing concern over the job market in Colombia. The president’s post has garnered nearly 10,000 responses, ranging from support to criticism.
