The US state department announced on Friday that it would withdraw the visa of Colombian leftist president Gustavo Petro due to his “inflammatory actions” during a pro-Palestinian street demonstration in New York. The state department stated on X, “Earlier today, Colombian president @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged US soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence.”
They added, “We will revoke Petro’s visa because of his reckless and inflammatory actions.”
On his social media account, Petro shared a video of himself addressing a large crowd through a megaphone on Friday. His translator then conveyed his message, calling on “nations of the world” to contribute soldiers to form an army “greater than that of the United States”. Petro urged, “That is why, from here in New York, I ask all soldiers in the US army not to point their rifles at humanity. Disobey Trump’s order! Obey the command of humanity!”
According to Colombian media, Petro was already on his way to Bogota from New York on Friday night.
The Colombian president was in New York for the UN general assembly, where he strongly condemned the Trump administration and demanded a criminal investigation into recent US strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visa should have been revoked instead of Petro’s, according to Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti. He wrote on X, “But since the empire protects him, it’s taking it out on the only president capable enough to tell him the truth to his face.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/27/us-revokes-visa-for-colombian-president-gustavo-petro-after-reckless-actions-in-new-york
