U.S. Revokes Visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro

Washington / Bogotá, September 27, 2025

The United States has revoked the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, escalating tensions between Washington and Bogotá and raising international concerns about diplomatic norms.

The State Department announced the decision after Petro joined a pro-Palestinian protest in New York during the U.N. General Assembly. At the rally, he urged U.S. soldiers to “disobey the orders of President Trump” on Gaza and called for a global force “stronger than the U.S. and Israeli armies” to liberate Palestinians. U.S. officials condemned the remarks as “reckless and incendiary.”

Back in Bogotá, Petro responded defiantly: “I don’t care … I don’t need a visa … because I’m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen.” He accused Washington of violating international law and breaching the immunity traditionally granted to heads of state at the U.N.

Colombian officials warn of wider fallout, with Petro suggesting the United Nations headquarters should be moved out of New York. Relations between the U.S. and Colombia were already strained over deportation policies, narcotics enforcement, and Bogotá’s decision to cut ties with Israel.

It remains unclear whether Petro will be allowed back into the U.S. for future U.N. sessions. The move is seen as a dramatic low point in U.S., Colombia relations and a broader test of American influence in global diplomacy
📸: Bing Guan/Reuters
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