The U.S. State Department announced Friday that it will revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of making “reckless and incendiary” remarks during a pro-Palestinian protest in New York.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the State Department said: “Earlier today, Colombian President @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence. We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.”
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist leader, had joined a demonstration where he delivered remarks in Spanish through a megaphone. A translator relayed his message to the crowd, in which Petro called for “nations of the world” to form an army “larger than that of the United States.”
“That is why, from here in New York, I ask all soldiers in the United States Army not to point their rifles at humanity. Disobey Trump’s order! Obey the order of humanity!” Petro declared.
Petro’s office confirmed to AFP that he departed New York Friday night for Bogotá. The president has previously noted that he holds Italian citizenship, meaning he would not require a U.S. visa for entry.
Tensions at the UN
Petro was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where earlier in the week he fiercely criticized the Trump administration.
In his address, he called for a criminal investigation into U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, claiming the attacks killed more than a dozen “unarmed poor young people,” some of them possibly Colombian.
Washington has defended the operations as part of its anti-narcotics campaign against Venezuela, whose government it accuses of running a cartel. The U.S. has recently dispatched eight warships and a submarine to the Caribbean in its largest show of force in years—stoking fears in Caracas of a possible invasion.
Strained U.S.-Colombia Relations
Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine producer, and ties between Bogotá and Washington—once close—have frayed under Petro’s leadership.
Just last week, the Trump administration decertified Colombia as an ally in the drug war, though it stopped short of imposing sanctions.
The diplomatic row deepened further Friday night when Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti took to X, blasting Washington’s move.
“Netanyahu’s visa should have been revoked instead of Petro’s,” Benedetti wrote. “But since the empire protects him, it punishes the only president courageous enough to tell him the truth to his face.”
The visa revocation marks a dramatic low point in U.S.-Colombian relations, highlighting both Petro’s combative foreign policy stance and Washington’s growing frustration with his government.
About the Author
