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U.S. Will Revoke Visa of Colombia’s Petro After Call for Troops to Disobey Trump

The rare step signals a sharp downturn in U.S.-Colombia ties, with potential fallout for security and counternarcotics cooperation.

On Tuesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where he sharply denounced the Trump administration and urged for a criminal probe into recent US raids on accused drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro addresses pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside U.N. headquarters in New York City on September 26, 2025.
Musician Roger Waters, addresses pro-Palestinian demonstrators alongside Colombian President Gustavo Petro, at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza outside U.N. headquarters during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2025. REUTERS/Bing Guan
President of Colombia Gustavo Petro Urrego addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Overview

  • Announcing the move on X, the State Department said President Gustavo Petro’s conduct was “reckless and incendiary” after remarks made on a New York street.
  • During a pro-Palestinian protest outside the U.N., Petro urged U.S. soldiers to “disobey the orders of Trump” and called for a multinational force “larger than that of the United States” to liberate Palestinians.
  • In his UN General Assembly speech earlier in the week, Petro accused President Trump of being complicit in genocide in Gaza and urged criminal proceedings over U.S. missile strikes on suspected drug-running boats in Caribbean waters.
  • Petro returned to Bogotá and posted that he no longer has a U.S. visa, dismissing the move while noting his European citizenship, potential ESTA travel, and claims of U.N.-related immunity.
  • The visa action follows months of strains over U.S. deportation flights, Washington’s counternarcotics decertification of Colombia, and public disputes over U.S. maritime strikes near Venezuela.