Maps
Magazine

WORLD NEWS

US Revokes Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s Visa After New York Protest
The US says it will revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, urging US soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-09-27
US Revokes Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s Visa After New York Protest

The United States has announced it will revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he joined a pro-Palestinian protest in New York and openly called on American soldiers to defy President Donald Trump’s orders.

In a post on X, the US State Department said:

“We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.”

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, took to the streets outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan on Friday, where he addressed demonstrators demanding an end to Israel’s war in Gaza. Speaking in Spanish, he urged the formation of a global armed force to “liberate Palestinians,” claiming it must be “bigger than that of the United States.”

He went further, directly appealing to US troops:

“From here, from New York, I ask all the soldiers of the army of the United States not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”

Neither Petro’s office nor Colombia’s foreign ministry has commented on his current whereabouts or whether he remains in New York.

Tensions at the UN Over Gaza War

Petro has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which Palestinian health authorities say has killed more than 65,000 people and displaced the enclave’s entire population since October 2023. Addressing the UN General Assembly earlier this week, he accused Trump of being “complicit in genocide” and called for criminal proceedings against Washington over its missile strikes in the Caribbean.

His remarks came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced Western countries for recognizing a Palestinian state, claiming such moves send the message that “murdering Jews pays off.”

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend the UN in person after the US denied him a visa, prompting criticism that Washington had violated the 1947 UN headquarters agreement.

Strained US-Colombia Relations

The decision to revoke Petro’s visa underscores the deteriorating ties between Washington and Bogotá since Trump’s return to office. Relations soured earlier this year when Colombia refused to accept deportation flights during Trump’s immigration crackdown, prompting threats of tariffs and canceled visa appointments.

Colombia eventually relented, but tensions have remained high, with Trump recently placing the country on a list of nations allegedly failing to meet counter-narcotics commitments. Petro’s ambitious plans to pacify coca-growing regions with social and military interventions have so far yielded little progress.

The visa revocation is likely to deepen the rift between the two allies, raising questions about future cooperation on trade and anti-drug strategies.
Tagged:

Donald trump

USPolitics

Colombia

Petro
Share News: