The US says it will cancel the Colombian president’s visa due to remarks made during a pro-Palestinian rally

The US is going to cancel the Colombian president’s visa because of his divisive remarks at a pro-Palestinian event.

After Colombian President Gustavo Petro participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York and called on American soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders, the United States declared on Friday that it would cancel Petro’s visa.

The State Department said on X, “We will cancel Petro’s visa because of his careless and inflammatory behavior.”

Speaking to demonstrators in front of the UN building in Manhattan, Petro demanded the establishment of an international military force to free the Palestinian people. He said, “This force must be greater than the United States.”

“That’s why from here, from New York, I ask all the soldiers of the army of the United States not to point their guns at people,” he said in Spanish, further urging US troops to defy Trump. Disobey Trump’s directives. Respect human authority.

Even as France, Britain, Australia, and Canada have made steps to recognize a Palestinian state that have angered Israel and its partner, the United States, the Trump administration is stepping up its crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices. This is the case with the action against Petro.

The first left-leaning president of Colombia, Petro, has been a strong opponent of Israel’s attack in Gaza. He demanded “criminal proceedings” for US missile strikes on suspected drug-running boats in the Caribbean and accused Trump of being “complicit in genocide” in Gaza during his speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Speaking to the assembly on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Western governments for supporting Palestinian independence, claiming that they were giving the message that “murdering Jews pays off.”

After Hamas militants struck southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and seizing 251 prisoners, Israel began its offensive in Gaza. According to Gaza health authorities, since then, the entire population of the territory has been uprooted and over 65,000 Palestinians have been dead. Israel disputes the accusation of genocide made by rights experts, claiming it is defending itself.