WASHINGTON (AP) — Tensions between the United States and Colombia have escalated with the State Department announcing it was revoking a visa for Gustavo Petro, president of the Latin American country, after he participated in a New York protest where he called on American soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders.
The department said on social media that “we will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.”
Petro was visiting for the annual U.N. Nations General Assembly. During a nearby protest Friday over the war in Gaza, he said “I ask all the soldiers of the United States’ army, don’t point your rifles against humanity” and “disobey the orders of Trump.”
It was unclear if the decision forced Petro, who returned to Colombia on Saturday, to leave the U.S. earlier than expected. The State Department did not answer questions about whether the revocation would affect future visits.
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, used a post on X addressed to Trump to say that “international law grants me immunity to go to the U.N. and that there should be no reprisals for my free opinion, because I am a free person.”
Earlier today, Colombian president @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence.
We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 27, 2025
Petro, who has a history of speaking off the cuff in meandering, ideologically charged speeches, also said on social media that “I don’t care” about the punishment because he is also a European citizen. That means he does not need a visa to travel to the U.S.
Colombia broke diplomatic ties with Israel last year over the Israel-Hamas war. Petro has repeatedly described Israel’s siege of Gaza as genocide.
Colombia has long been a top U.S. ally in Latin America, cooperating closely on the fight against drug trafficking. But there have been repeated clashes between Petro, a former rebel group member, and Trump’s Republican administration.
Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s president, during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (David Dee Delgado/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bloomberg via Getty Images
20 Years OfFreeJournalism
Your SupportFuelsOur Mission
Your SupportFuelsOur Mission
For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever.