Colombian air force plane carrying deportees from US lands

US officials had said earlier that the visa restrictions would not be lifted until the migrants who had been turned back on Sunday had landed in Colombia.

Neither the US nor the Colombian government have provided details of the deal that defused the situation.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement that “the Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on US military aircraft, without limitation or delay”.

Meanwhile, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said that the “impasse” with Washington had been “overcome”.

Murillo added that his government would continue to receive Colombian deportees in “dignified conditions”.

It is not currently clear if Colombia will continue sending air force planes to the US to collect deported migrants or if Tuesday’s two flights were a one-off.

Central American and South American leaders are expected to discuss how to deal with the Trump administration’s migration policy at a summit convened by Honduras in the wake of the Colombia-US spat.

President Petro has already confirmed his attendance.