Washington Revokes President Gustavo Petro's Visa After Calling to 'Liberate Palestine'

A new episode of diplomatic tensions is shaking the already fragile relations between Colombia and the United States. This Friday, September 26, 2025, the U.S. State Department announced the revocation of Colombian President Gustavo Petro's visa, accusing him of “reckless and inflammatory actions” during a pro-Palestinian demonstration organized in New York, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. An Explosive Speech Before the UN and in the Streets of New York Alongside British musician Roger Waters, a prominent figure in the pro-Palestinian movement, Gustavo Petro spoke before a crowd of demonstrators gathered near the UN headquarters. “I ask all soldiers of the United States army not to aim their rifles at humanity. Disobey Trump’s order! Obey humanity’s order!” declared the Colombian president, also calling for the creation of a “world rescue army” more powerful than that of the United States, intended, according to him, to “liberate Palestine.” Washington deemed these remarks “inflammatory” and “irresponsible.” “Earlier today, the Colombian president stood on a New York street and urged American soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence. We are revoking Petro’s visa,” the State Department affirmed. Petro's Caustic Retort The Colombian head of state’s reaction was swift. Back in Bogota, Petro denounced the decision as “illegal” and “contrary to international law.” “I no longer have a visa to go to the United States. It doesn’t matter. I don’t need a visa (…) because I am not only a Colombian citizen but also a European citizen, and I consider myself a free person in the world,” he wrote on X, recalling that he also holds Italian nationality, which allows him to travel to the United States under certain conditions. In a tone mixing defiance and irony, the Colombian president added: “Not allowing the entry of the Palestinian Authority and depriving me of my visa for asking the American and Israeli armies not to support a genocide, which constitutes a crime against humanity, demonstrates that the United States government no longer respects international law. (…) I will not come back to see Donald the duck,” in a mocking reference to U.S. President Donald Trump. A Diplomatic Context Under High Tension This incident occurs in an already strained climate between Washington and Bogota. Since Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, bilateral relations have significantly deteriorated. In July, the two countries had recalled their ambassadors after Petro accused American officials of preparing a coup d'état in Colombia. Earlier this year, Bogota had suspended expulsion flights for Colombian nationals from the United States, leading to threats of economic sanctions. On the international front, Colombia broke off diplomatic relations with Israel in 2024 and banned the export of Colombian coal to that country, in reaction to Israeli offensives in the Gaza Strip. At the United Nations podium, a few days before the demonstration, Gustavo Petro had already denounced a “genocide in Gaza” and called for the opening of “criminal proceedings” against Donald Trump for American strikes in the Caribbean that, according to Bogota, caused the death of 14 people. Washington asserts that these strikes targeted drug shipments. Colombia's Minister of Interior, Armando Benedetti, for his part, reacted by accusing the United States of “hypocrisy.” “The visa that should have been revoked is that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But since the Empire protects him, it targets the only president capable of telling it the truth to its face,” he declared on X. A Historical Precedent and a Challenge for the UN This is not the first time a Colombian president has been deprived of a U.S. visa. In 1996, President Ernesto Samper faced a similar measure after accusations of his campaign being financed by the Cali cartel. But the Petro case raises a broader question: the ability of the United States, as the host country of the UN headquarters, to influence the access of foreign leaders to the General Assembly, despite the theoretical extraterritoriality of the New York diplomatic quarter. The revocation of Gustavo Petro's visa could intensify Colombia's rapprochement with countries of the Global South, particularly the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which are increasingly attracting leaders critical of American hegemony. Several analysts see this incident as a catalyst for geopolitical realignment, with Petro now appearing as one of the symbols of a global challenge to Washington's leadership. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, an undisputed leader, has shown his determination in the fight to stop this “genocide” in the Gaza Strip by Israel. Now, the world patiently awaits the reaction of the world's leading power, which has repeatedly used its veto to save Israel from potential economic, military, and other sanctions. But a question remains: will the United States always be there to cover Israel's actions? Will Palestine always have the chance to have men like Colombian President Gustavo Petro to bring its problems to the highest spheres?