The United States has announced it will revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro following his participation in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York on Friday. The decision, confirmed by the State Department in a post on X, came after Petro delivered a speech that U.S. officials described as “reckless and incendiary.”
Addressing protesters outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, Petro called for the creation of a global armed force dedicated to liberating Palestinians, declaring it must be “bigger than that of the United States.”
His remarks escalated when he urged American soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders, telling the crowd in Spanish: “Do not point your guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”
The State Department’s swift response underscored Washington’s alarm at Petro’s statements, which they viewed as an unacceptable challenge to U.S. authority and a direct appeal for insubordination within the American military. “We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions,” the agency announced.
Petro’s comments are likely to intensify diplomatic tensions between Bogotá and Washington at a time of heightened global polarization over the Israel-Palestinian conflict. His call for defiance of U.S. leadership and the formation of an international military front could fuel further controversy both at home and abroad.
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