Colombian President’s Visa Revocation!
Bogotá, Sep 27 (EFE).-
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday denounced the United States’ decision to revoke his visa, calling it a violation of international law and United Nations immunity norms, and arguing that the UN headquarters should no longer remain in New York.
“What the US government does to me breaks all the immunity rules on which the UN General Assembly is based. Presidents attending the assembly have total immunity, and Washington cannot condition their opinions,” Petro wrote on X.
Petro added that the US refusal to grant entry to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, combined with the revocation of his own visa for urging the US and Israeli armies “not to support a genocide,” shows that Washington “no longer complies with international law.”
The US State Department announced late Friday that it was revoking Petro’s visa, accusing him of “reckless and provocative actions” after he told US soldiers during a pro-Palestinian rally in New York to “disobey orders” and reject involvement in Gaza.
Petro downplayed the move, noting he also holds Italian citizenship and can travel under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), though this system is still subject to US approval.
“I do not need a visa … I consider myself a free person in the world,” he said.
The decision has sparked calls from Colombian politicians and business leaders for Petro to manage ties responsibly with Washington, Colombia’s main trade partner and security ally.
The US last revoked a Colombian president’s visa in the mid-1990s, when Ernesto Samper was accused of receiving campaign funds from drug traffickers. EFE
