Washington, D.C. – In a dramatic escalation of bilateral tensions, the Trump administration announced Friday the revocation of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s U.S. visa, citing his “reckless and incendiary actions” during a pro-Palestinian protest outside the United Nations in New York City. The move, which bars Petro from entering the country, stems from remarks where he urged American soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders.
The State Department swiftly condemned Petro’s speech at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, where the leftist leader addressed demonstrators amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s General Assembly appearance. “Earlier today, Colombian president
@petrogustavo
stood on a NYC street and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence,” the department posted on social media. “We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.” Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, was already en route to Bogota when the announcement broke.
Petro dismissed the decision Saturday, declaring on social media: “I don’t need a visa… because I’m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world.” He accused Washington of violating international law by punishing his criticism of Israel’s Gaza campaign, which he called a “genocide.” “Revoking it for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law,” Petro added, vowing no reprisals for his “free opinion.”
The fallout underscores fraying U.S.-Colombia ties under Trump. In January, Trump threatened 50% tariffs after Petro rejected deportation flights; relations soured further when the U.S. decertified Colombia as a drug-war ally last week, suspecting Petro’s policies aid cocaine trafficking. Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti fired back, suggesting Netanyahu’s visa should be revoked instead: “But since the empire protects him, it’s taking it out on the only president who was capable enough to tell him the truth to his face.”
As midterms loom, the visa snub signals Trump’s hardline diplomacy: zero tolerance for foreign leaders challenging U.S. policy. For Petro, it’s a badge of defiance; for the White House, a warning to global critics. In a world of strained alliances, one revoked visa could ripple into trade wars and diplomatic isolation.
