U.S. to revoke Colombian President Petro’s visa after call to defy Trump
The United States announced Friday, September 26, it will revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa after he urged U.S. soldiers to disobey Donald Trump, further straining ties between Washington and Bogotá.
Speaking to pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the UN headquarters in New York, Petro repeated his call for a global force to “liberate Palestine” and asked U.S. troops not to “point their rifles against humanity”. He added: “Disobey Trump’s orders. Obey humanity’s orders”.
In a post on X, the State Department condemned Petro’s remarks as “reckless and incendiary”, confirming his visa would be cancelled.
During his UN General Assembly address, Petro also accused Trump of being an “accomplice to genocide” in Gaza, following an independent UN investigation that concluded Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians — a claim Israel denies.
Colombian outlet Caracol Radio reported Petro had already departed the U.S. when the announcement was made. His trip comes amid rising tensions with Washington, following disputes over migration, counternarcotics operations, and U.S. military activities in the region.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
