The United States has revoked the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro following a heated protest he led in New York during the UN General Assembly.
Petro, who had joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration, used a megaphone to urge American soldiers to “disobey Trump’s order” and instead “obey humanity.” His remarks, delivered to a large crowd, called on nations to form an army stronger than that of the United States.
The US State Department condemned his actions as reckless and incendiary, announcing the immediate cancellation of his visa. Petro had already departed New York and was returning to Bogotá when the decision was made public.
The controversy comes amid worsening relations between Washington and Colombia under Petro’s left-wing government. Earlier in the week, Petro criticized US airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean, describing them as acts of tyranny, and suggested Colombians may have been among those killed.
The fallout underscores growing tension over the US-led anti-drug operations in the region, as well as Petro’s increasingly confrontational stance on global issues.