Washington, D.C.: Tensions between the United States and Colombia escalated after the State Department announced the revocation of President Gustavo Petro’s visa. The move came following Petro’s participation in a protest in New York over the Gaza conflict, during which he urged American soldiers to “disobey the orders of Trump” and cautioned them not to “point your rifles against humanity.”
The State Department described Petro’s actions as “reckless and incendiary”, stating on social media: “We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.”
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, was in the United States for the annual UN General Assembly. He returned to Colombia on Saturday, though it was unclear whether the visa revocation forced him to cut his visit short. Officials did not clarify whether the decision would affect future US visits by Petro.
Petro defended his actions on social media, claiming, “international law grants me immunity to go to the UN and that there should be no reprisals for my free opinion, because I am a free person.” He added, “I don’t care” about the visa revocation, noting that his European citizenship allows him to travel to the US without a visa.
The incident adds to a history of strained relations between Petro and the US, despite Colombia being a key US ally in Latin America. Earlier this year, Petro resisted deportation flights using American military aircraft, prompting threats of tariffs and visa suspensions from former President Trump’s administration.
Colombia has also clashed with Israel under Petro’s leadership, breaking diplomatic ties over the Israel-Hamas war and describing Israel’s siege of Gaza as genocide.
Petro has criticized the US for failing to support Colombia’s anti-narcotics efforts, highlighting the human cost: “We have lost the lives of policemen, soldiers and regular citizens, trying to stop cocaine from reaching the United States.”
US Revokes Visa Of Colombian President Gustavo Petro Following Protest In New York
