Bogotá, Colombia – Colombian Congresswoman Angela Vergara yesterday called for the Colombian government to help repatriate its citizens detained in the United States after her son was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Vergara, a member of the pro-Donald Trump Conservative Party, announced last Friday that her 22-year-old son, Rafael Alonso Vergara, had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities for over two weeks.
Vergara sent a letter to Colombian President Gustavo Petro demanding action to assist Colombians detained by ICE, drawing criticism from opponents who noted her party’s support for Trump.
“Today we ask the government for a clear and URGENT response to the request made by 30 congresspeople from all parties to address the serious humanitarian crisis faced by hundreds of Colombians deprived of their liberty in the United States,” wrote Vergara on her X account on Wednesday.
She attached an image of a letter addressed to Petro, Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and the head of the Colombian Air Force. The note called for the air force to coordinate a “humanitarian flight” to repatriate detained citizens.
Last Friday, Vergara said that her son had been in ICE custody for 18 days after being detained at a traffic stop in Louisiana.
“For weeks now, I have been experiencing what thousands of Colombians have suffered over the past year,” wrote the congresswoman on X. “I raise my voice in the name of humanity for the families who are suffering without help; for Colombians who are treated like criminals today without being so.”
She said her son had legally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was “not undocumented.”
But Vergara’s denunciation was met with criticism and mockery by many sectors of the Colombian population, who highlighted her ties with Trumpism.
The Conservative Party celebrated Trump’s election in 2024 following a campaign in which he pledged mass deportations.
Vergara is also seen as closely aligned with the MAGA wing of U.S. politics; she is a member of the anti-abortion bloc in the Colombian congress and publicly mourned the death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk last September.
But Vergara has also been falsely accused of leading a movement called “Latinas for Trump” and of calling for U.S. intervention in Colombia. Petro himself shared a video showing a woman wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’, which he falsely identified as Vergara.
The congresswoman defended herself against allegations that she changed her stance following her son’s detention, writing: “Denouncing injustice is not hypocrisy; it is consistency and dignity. Insults are no substitute for facts.”
Featured image description: Colombian Congresswoman Angela Vergara.
Featured image credit: @AMVergaraG via X.
