Colombians showing up at the U.S. Embassy for visa appointments had their hopes dashed on Monday after President Trump threatened retaliation over the weekend as the U.S. ramps up the deportation of migrants.
Images captured people visibly emotional when they showed up outside the embassy in Bogota only to be turned away.
It comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday ordered the immediate suspension of visas being issued at the embassy after Colombian President Gustavo Petro rejected two flight carrying migrants deported from the U.S.
While the White House and Colombia appeared to reach an agreement with Petro backing down on repatriation flights late Sunday, the suspension of visa issuances remained Monday morning.
Men and woman who arrived at the embassy were handed a slip of paper with a message telling them that the appointments had been cancelled.
‘Your January 27th visa interview or Applicant Service Center appointment has been canceled due to the Colombian government’s refusal to accept repatriation flights of Colombian nationals from the United States, which President Gustavo Petro had previously authorized,’ the notes read.
Images showed distraught people standing in line, making calls and looking confused on Monday as they held the distributed notices.
Tensions between the U.S. and Colombia rapidly escalated Sunday after the country rejected two military planes carrying migrants who had been deported from the U.S.
Colombia had accepted planes of deported migrants in the past including 124 planes last year.
But Petro took issue with the treatment of the migrants being flown back from the U.S. and barred the military planes from landing.
In response, Trump fired off a social media post calling for retaliatory measures including emergency 25 percent tariffs on all products coming from Colombia that would increase to 50 percent in one week.
He also announced a travel ban and visa revocation on all Colombian government officials, allies and supporters as well as sanctions.
In its statement announcing a pause on visa issuances, the State Department said Rubio was authorizing travel sanctions ‘on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations.’
‘Measures will continue until Colombia meets its obligations to accept the return of its own citizens,’ it stated.
After Trump vowed to impose stiff tariffs and sanctions, Petro also threatened 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods tipping the two countries closer to a trade war.
But late Sunday night, the White House said Colombia’s president had caved to all of Trump’s demands, so it would hold off on tariffs and sanctions.
In its own announcement, the Colombian government also signaled it would resume accepting flights with the guarantee that migrants would be treated decently.
But the despite the agreement, the visa appointments appeared to remain on hold.
DailyMail.com reached out to the State Department and U.S. Embassy in Bogota to determine when appointments would resume.