‘I don’t care’: Colombian President Petro shrugs off US visa revocation

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday slammed the US for revoking his visa, claiming the action violated international law. The US took this measure in response to Petro’s actions on Friday, where he participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration and specifically called for American soldiers to defy President Trump’s orders concerning the war in Gaza.

“I no longer have a visa to travel to the United States. I don’t care. I don’t need a visa … because I’m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world,” Petro said on X.

“Revoking it for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law,” he added.

While a United Nations investigation claimed Israel’s conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide, Israel firmly denies the accusation, stating its actions are solely in the interest of self-defence.

Petro used his address to a pro-Palestinian protest in New York to suggest the creation of a global armed force dedicated to freeing Palestinians. The most controversial moment came when he directly advised US soldiers “not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”

In a post on X, the State Department said it was revoking Petro’s visa over his “reckless and incendiary actions”.

The Colombian Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that revoking a visa as a diplomatic punishment contradicts UN principles. They specifically claimed that such a move undermines the freedom of expression and the guarantee of independence given to member states while participating in UN functions.

“The UN should find a completely neutral host country … that would allow the organisation itself to issue authorisation to enter the territory of that new host state,” the ministry said.

Petro joins club of presidents at odds with Washington

Petro is not the first Colombian head of state to face a US visa cancellation; the US similarly withdrew the visa of President Ernesto Samper in 1996 amid a political financing scandal involving the Cali drug cartel.

Currently, the bilateral relationship has grown increasingly contentious since Donald Trump regained office. Earlier this year, this tension manifested when Petro suspended deportation flights from the US, a move that initially triggered threats of economic retaliation from Washington before a compromise was struck.

The diplomatic rift deepened significantly in July, resulting in the mutual withdrawal of ambassadors after Petro levelled an unfounded accusation that US officials were involved in a coup plot.

Separately, Petro has also taken a strong stand against Israel, breaking off diplomatic relations in 2024 and banning the export of coal from Colombia to that country.