US Revokes Colombian President Petro's Visa Following Call for Military Disobedience Against Trump

US-Colombia diplomatic relations have entered a period of heightened tension after the State Department announced the revocation of Colombian President Gustavo Petro's visa. This action followed Petro's participation in a New York protest where he called on American military personnel to disregard orders from President Donald Trump.

The State Department made the announcement via social media, stating "we will revoke Petro's visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions."

Petro was in the United States attending the annual UN General Assembly. During his stay, he joined a protest regarding the Gaza conflict on Friday where he publicly stated, "I ask all the soldiers of the United States' army, don't point your rifles against humanity" and urged them to "disobey the orders of Trump."

Whether this decision forced Petro, who returned to Colombia on Saturday, to depart the US earlier than planned remains unclear. The State Department has not provided clarification on whether this visa revocation would impact future visits by the Colombian president.

Petro, who made history as Colombia's first leftist president, responded directly to Trump on social platform X, asserting that "international law grants me immunity to go to the UN and that there should be no reprisals for my free opinion, because I am a free person."

Known for his impromptu, ideologically-driven speeches, Petro also remarked on social media that the punishment doesn't concern him as he holds European citizenship, which allows him to travel to the US without requiring a visa.

Colombia severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2023 over the Israel-Hamas conflict. Petro has consistently characterized Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide.

Historically, Colombia has been one of the United States' strongest allies in Latin America, with significant cooperation on anti-drug trafficking initiatives. However, relations have become strained through multiple confrontations between Petro, a former member of a rebel group, and Trump's Republican administration.

Earlier in the year, Petro resisted deportation flights utilizing American military aircraft, creating a diplomatic crisis as Trump threatened retaliatory measures including higher tariffs and visa suspensions. With the US being Colombia's primary trading partner, Petro's government ultimately conceded and agreed to accept the flights.

The United States recently accused Colombia of insufficient cooperation with anti-narcotics efforts. While this designation did not include sanctions that would have reduced US assistance to Colombia, it represented a serious criticism that provoked Petro's frustration.

In response, he emphasized that his country had sacrificed the lives of "policemen, soldiers and regular citizens, trying to stop cocaine" from reaching American shores.