The United States announced it would revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York City and urged U.S. soldiers to defy President Donald Trump’s orders. The State Department, posting on X, said Petro’s “reckless and incendiary actions” prompted the decision.
Speaking outside the U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, Petro called for the creation of a global armed force “bigger than that of the United States” to liberate Palestinians. Addressing U.S. troops directly, he urged them to “disobey the orders of Trump” and instead follow “the orders of humanity.” Petro has been one of Latin America’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which he has described as genocide.
Petro’s rally followed a fiery speech at the U.N. General Assembly earlier in the week, where he accused Trump of complicity in atrocities in Gaza and called for criminal proceedings against the U.S. over missile strikes in the Caribbean. His comments came as the U.S. continued to block Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York, citing security and foreign policy concerns despite U.N. agreements on access.
The timing adds further strain to U.S.-Colombia relations. Washington is Bogotá’s top ally in trade and counter-narcotics efforts, but tensions have risen since Trump’s return to office. Earlier this year, Petro initially refused to accept deportation flights tied to Trump’s immigration crackdown before reversing under pressure. More recently, Trump placed Colombia on a list of countries failing to meet anti-drug commitments, accusing Petro’s government of weak enforcement.
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, came to power in 2022 promising peace deals with armed groups but later shifted toward aggressive social and military interventions in coca-growing regions. The strategy has delivered limited results, and his latest clash with Washington risks further isolating Colombia diplomatically at a critical moment.