“DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT: US REVOKES COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT’S VISA OVER CALL TO DISOBEY TRUMP”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS-THE United States has revoked the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he urged American soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders during a pro-Palestine protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Key Details:
– Petro’s Comments: The Colombian president called on US soldiers to “not point their rifles at humanity” and “disobey Trump’s order! Obey the order of humanity!”
– US Response: The State Department deemed Petro’s comments “reckless and incendiary”, leading to the visa revocation.
– Background: Petro was in New York attending the 80th UN General Assembly, where he also criticized Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict and called for a criminal investigation into US actions in the Caribbean
Implications:
– Strained Relations: The visa revocation further strains relations between the US and Colombia, which have had disagreements on issues like drug trafficking and migration.
– Petro’s Response: Petro claimed he didn’t care about the punishment, citing his European citizenship, which doesn’t require a US visa.
– Global Context: The incident highlights the complexities of international diplomacy and the challenges of navigating differing perspectives on global issues
In his Tuesday address to world leaders at the gathering, the Colombian president criticised the White House and called for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Washington and NATO are killing democracy. And they are spreading totalitarianism at the global level,” he said.
On Saturday, Petro confirmed that his visa was revoked and that he had arrived in Bogotá.
Hours later, Augusto Ocampo, his legal secretary, announced a voluntary waiver of his US visa in solidarity.
Meanwhile, the US also denied visas for Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, and 80 Palestinian officials, blocking them from attending UNGA.
Armando Benedetti, Colombia’s interior minister, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visa should have been revoked instead
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