Colombian President, Gustavo Petro dismissed the United States move to revoke his visa as retaliation for his outspoken criticism of US role in Israeli Gaza war.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has brushed off Washington’s decision to revoke his US visa, accusing the United States of punishing him for denouncing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The State Department announced the move after Petro addressed pro-Palestinian demonstrators in New York during the UN General Assembly last week. In his speech, he urged American soldiers to “disobey Trump” and refuse orders that, he argued, would harm civilians.
Petro, an outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, responded defiantly on Saturday. Writing on social media, he said the decision made little difference to him. “I no longer have a visa to travel to the United States. I don’t care. I don’t need a visa because I am also a European citizen. I truly consider myself a free person in the world,” he wrote.
He accused Washington of violating international law, saying that “revoking it for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects” global norms. His remarks come after a UN inquiry described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as genocidal—an allegation Israel has firmly rejected, insisting its operations are in self-defense against Hamas.
Read Also: US Revokes Colombian President’s Visa Over Protest Remarks
The State Department defended its action, calling Petro’s rhetoric “reckless and incendiary.” The dispute adds to a series of recent clashes that have strained ties between Bogotá and Washington since President Donald Trump returned to office.
Earlier this year, Petro suspended US deportation flights to Colombia, prompting threats of trade sanctions before the two governments reached a compromise. In July, both countries recalled their ambassadors after Petro accused Washington of plotting a coup, an allegation US officials dismissed as baseless.
Colombia’s foreign ministry criticized the visa cancellation as a misuse of diplomatic tools, arguing that the United Nations should consider hosting its meetings in a neutral country that guarantees access for all leaders.
Petro is not the first Colombian leader to lose US entry privileges. In 1996, then-president Ernesto Samper’s visa was canceled over a scandal linking his campaign to cartel financing.
Petro has also clashed with Israel directly. In 2024, he cut diplomatic ties and halted coal exports to the country, deepening his alignment with other governments critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Despite the fallout, Petro’s stance has reinforced his role as one of the most vocal critics of US and Israeli policies in Latin America.
