• Diplomatic tensions between Ecuador and Colombia have escalated into a full-blown trade and political crisis
• Ecuador announced a steep 100% tariff on Colombian imports, triggering immediate backlash
• Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the tariff as “a monstrosity” and threatened to exit the Andean Community

A growing diplomatic rift between Ecuador and Colombia escalated on Thursday, April 9, after Quito announced a sweeping 100 percent tariff on Colombian imports, prompting a swift response from Bogotá.

The Colombian government reacted by recalling its ambassador, signaling a deepening breakdown in relations between the neighboring countries.

The dispute, which has been brewing for months, stems largely from Ecuador’s accusations that Colombia has failed to adequately address drug trafficking and illegal mining activities along their shared border.

“Our ambassador to Ecuador must return immediately,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in a post on X, directly responding to Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, a known ally of former US President Donald Trump.

“The next cabinet meeting will be held at a location on the border with Ecuador,” Petro added.

Tensions further intensified after Petro described jailed former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas as a “political prisoner.”

Glas, who served under former leaders Rafael Correa and Lenin Moreno, is currently serving a 13-year sentence for corruption, his fourth conviction since 2017.

In response, Noboa withdrew Ecuador’s envoy from Colombia for consultations and confirmed that the new tariffs would take effect in May.

Petro had earlier condemned the move, calling the proposed 100 percent tariff “a monstrosity” and warning it could spell the collapse of the Andean Community of Nations, which also includes Bolivia and Peru.

“It’s just simply a monstrosity, but this signifies the end” of the grouping, “in which we already no longer participate,” Petro said on X.

Noboa fired back, saying, “it is not possible to reach agreements with someone who does not share the same commitment to fighting narco-terrorism.”

“In the future, it will be possible to talk with a government that is truly committed to combating crime and drug trafficking,” he added.

The current standoff traces back to January when Ecuador first imposed a 30 percent tariff on Colombian goods, later raising it to 50 percent.

Colombia retaliated with similar tariffs and suspended electricity exports to Ecuador, worsening the latter’s ongoing energy challenges.

Despite several rounds of talks, both sides have failed to reach a resolution, raising fears of a prolonged trade and diplomatic crisis in the region.

Trump slaps 100% tariff on foreign drugs, expands metal duties in bold trade move

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the United States president, Donald Trump, has signed two major executive orders targeting foreign-made pharmaceuticals and imported metals.

The administration imposed a 100 percent tariff on patented medicines produced outside the United States. The move is designed to pressure global pharmaceutical companies to shift production to US soil or negotiate favourable trade agreements.