US Revokes Colombian President Petro’s Visa Over NYC Protest

The US State Department announced on Friday that it will revoke the visa of Colombia's President Gustavo Petro. The move comes after Petro participated in a pro-Palestinian street protest in New York, where he made statements the US deemed "incendiary."

Petro was already traveling back to Bogota from New York when the decision was announced, according to Colombian media reports cited by Agence France-Presse.

Petro’s Controversial Remarks

During the protest, Petro addressed a large crowd through a megaphone, urging nations to contribute soldiers to create an army “larger than that of the United States.” He also directly called on US soldiers to "disobey Trump's order" and instead "obey the order of humanity."

Earlier this week, Petro criticized the Trump administration’s airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, calling them an "act of tyranny." Petro also suggested that some of those killed in the strikes may have been Colombian citizens.

US Response

The State Department condemned Petro’s actions, saying in a post on X (formerly Twitter):

"Earlier today, Colombian president @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged US soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence. We will revoke Petro's visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions."

Colombian Officials Push Back

Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti criticized the US decision, suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should have faced similar measures instead. He commented on X:

"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."

Worsening US-Colombia Relations

Petro, Colombia’s first-ever left-wing president, has faced strained ties with the Trump administration, particularly over anti-drug operations in the Caribbean, which Washington claims target Venezuelan drug cartels.

The US has also recently denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other Palestinian officials, preventing their attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Implications

The visa revocation represents a major diplomatic rebuke and signals growing tensions between Colombia under Petro and the US administration, with potential repercussions for bilateral cooperation in drug enforcement and regional security.