The United States will revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro following what officials described as “reckless and incendiary actions” during a street protest in New York City, the U.S. State Department announced Friday evening.
Petro, who was in New York to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, was seen addressing a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the UN headquarters with a megaphone. In his remarks, the Colombian leader urged members of the U.S. military to “disobey Trump’s orders” and instead “obey humanity’s orders.”
The State Department accused Petro of inciting unrest, writing on X: “We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions. He stood on a NYC street and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence.”
The comments came amid widespread protests in New York during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN appearance, where thousands called for a ceasefire in Gaza and denounced Israeli military actions.
Petro’s protest remarks echoed themes from his earlier UN address, in which he sharply criticized U.S. foreign policy, accused Western powers of fostering global inequality, and denounced the Gaza conflict as “genocide.” He directly targeted former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of complicity in attacks on civilians.
“Trump… allows missiles to be launched against young children, women, and the elderly in Gaza, making himself complicit in genocide,” Petro declared in his UN speech.
Reaction to Petro’s street appearance was swift and polarized. Colombian journalist Vicky Dávila posted a video on X, calling the president’s actions “the most ridiculous scene possible” and suggesting he should be “interned in a clinic.”
The State Department has not yet clarified whether Petro will be expelled immediately or how the visa revocation will affect future U.S.-Colombia diplomatic relations. Bogotá has not issued an official response.
