WASHINGTON – Tensions between the U.S. and Colombia flared this week after the Trump administration announced it would revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s U.S. visa, following controversial comments he made at a pro-Palestinian rally outside the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) on September 26, the U.S. State Department wrote:
“We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.”
The decision comes after Petro publicly called on U.S. soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders, during a fiery speech delivered in Spanish at a protest criticizing Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Petro’s Call to U.S. Soldiers Sparks Outrage
During the Manhattan demonstration, Petro urged for the formation of a global military force stronger than the U.S. to “liberate Palestine.” He went further by directly addressing American troops:
“That’s why, 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.”
The comments were immediately condemned by the Trump administration, which viewed them as an incitement to insubordination and a challenge to U.S. national security interests.
Petro Responds: ‘I Don’t Care’
Back in Bogotá, Petro remained defiant. Responding to the visa revocation, he posted:
“I no longer have a visa to travel to the USA. I don’t care. I don’t need a visa but an ESTA, because I’m not only a Colombian citizen but also a European citizen, and in reality, I consider myself a free person in the world.”
Petro Doubles Down on Criticism of Israel and Trump
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president and a longtime critic of both U.S. foreign policy and Israel’s military operations in Gaza, didn’t stop at the protest.
In his speech and on social media afterward, he:
- Accused Trump of being “complicit in genocide” in Gaza.
- Called for criminal proceedings over U.S. missile strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
- Said Trump had “violated the founding principles” of the United Nations.
- Suggested the UN headquarters should be moved to Doha, calling it a “more democratic place.”
Context: Growing International Support for Palestinian Statehood
Petro’s comments came in the wake of a diplomatic shift, as Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal all formally recognized Palestinian statehood in the past week—moves that drew sharp criticism from both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Trump administration.
Trump, in his September 23 address to the UN General Assembly, condemned those recognitions, calling them a “reward to Hamas” and a dangerous signal to terrorists worldwide.
The visa revocation marks a sharp escalation in U.S.-Colombia relations and highlights the growing divide in global responses to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
While President Petro has made headlines for his bold foreign policy positions before, his direct call for U.S. troops to defy presidential orders may have pushed diplomatic tensions to a new high.
Whether the fallout leads to longer-term diplomatic consequences remains to be seen.
