US to Revoke Colombian President’s Visa after Anti-Israel Protest Speech in New York

The State Department accused Petro of making “reckless and incendiary” remarks after he urged American soldiers not to obey US President Donald Trump’s orders.

“Earlier today, Colombian President @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged US soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence. We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions,” the department posted on X.

Petro appeared at the demonstration alongside British musician Roger Waters, while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly.

“What is happening in Gaza is clearly, without question, genocide,” Petro told the crowd.

He said Washington’s repeated use of its veto at the UN Security Council had “destroyed all hopes of diplomacy.”

“The history showed us that once diplomacy is over, humanity has to come to another kind of struggle,” he said.

Petro appealed directly to US soldiers.

“From New York, I ask all the soldiers of the US Army not to put your hands against the people,” he said.

“Disobey Trump’s order, obey the order of humanity,” he added, recalling how American troops once fought Hitler in Europe.

Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti criticized Washington’s move, saying Netanyahu’s visa should have been revoked instead.

“But since the empire protects him, it’s taking it out on the only president who was capable enough to tell him the truth to his face,” he wrote on X.

Colombian media said Petro was already on his way back to Bogota from New York late Friday.

Separately, US authorities also denied visas to Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, preventing them from attending the UN General Assembly.