The US has stated it will revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro's visa, following his urging of US soldiers to disobey his American counterpart Donald Trump during remarks made at a rally in New York.
The State Department described Petro's comments at a pro-Palestinian street protest on Friday as 'reckless and incendiary.'
The Colombian leader was in the US for the UN General Assembly, where earlier he called for a criminal inquiry into the Trump administration's airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
He was already on his way back to Bogotá when the US announced the cancellation of his visa, as reported by Colombian media.
Petro shared a video on social media of him addressing a large crowd through a megaphone on Friday, calling for the formation of a world salvation army, whose first task is to liberate Palestine.
That is why, from here in New York, I ask all soldiers in the United States Army not to point their rifles at humanity, he declared. Disobey Trump's order! Obey the order of humanity!
He further appealed to the youth of both Israel and the United States, encouraging them to shift their sights away from humanity and towards tyrants and fascists.
The US State Department condemned these statements, stating Petro had urged US soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence. It labeled the visa revocation as a response to his 'reckless and incendiary actions.'
Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti expressed his dismay, suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visa should have been revoked instead, criticizing the US for their perceived favoritism.
Relations between President Petro, who leads Colombia's first-ever left-wing government, and the Trump administration have significantly strained over recent months. During his UN speech, Petro launched a strong denunciation of US military actions, denouncing them as acts intended to dominate Colombia and Latin America.
Notably, he claimed that those who perished in these strikes may have been Colombian civilians and accused US officials of colluding with drug gangs against the interests of his government, which seeks to deter coca farming.
Washington has maintained these military operations are part of an anti-drug initiative near the Venezuelan coast, citing President Nicolás Maduro's alleged cartel connections.
Moreover, the US has denied visas to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and around 80 Palestinian officials, preventing them from attending the UN General Assembly.
