US to Revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s Visa Over Anti-Trump Remarks at Pro-Gaza Protest

The United States announced it will revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro following his controversial remarks at a pro-Palestinian protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday. Petro urged US soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump, calling for a global armed force focused on liberating Palestinians.

The US State Department condemned Petro’s actions as “reckless and incendiary,” stating that his visa revocation is a direct response to his public calls for insubordination among American military personnel.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president and a vocal critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, addressed the crowd in Spanish: “This force has to be bigger than that of the United States… Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.” His remarks came shortly after his UN General Assembly speech, where he accused Trump of being “complicit in genocide” in Gaza.

The incident further strains US-Colombia relations. Petro’s administration has previously clashed with Washington over immigration, counter-narcotics cooperation, and military flights carrying deportees. The United States remains Colombia’s main trading partner and ally in combating drug trafficking, making this diplomatic dispute particularly sensitive.

The pro-Gaza protest coincides with heightened tensions over the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned countries recognizing Palestinian statehood, while the Trump administration continues to deny visas to Palestinian leaders, citing security and foreign policy concerns.

Petro’s comments at the UN and subsequent protest highlight the deepening ideological divide between his leftist administration and the US government, setting the stage for further diplomatic repercussions.