Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, confirmed on Monday that the U.S. Government has revoked his visa, preventing him from traveling to the country. In his statements, the president did not detail the reasons for the suspension of his permit, but he did mention the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, apparently related to immigration issues.
"I can no longer go because I believe they took away my visa," stated the Colombian leader, emphasizing that "I didn't need it". "I've seen Donald Duck several times, so I'll see other things," Petro clarified during a cabinet meeting held at the Casa de Nariño, the seat of the Colombian executive, making light of the current situation. Additionally, the president mentioned that Colombia's Minister of Finance, Germán Ávila, traveled to Washington to participate in the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).
"I have to thank a U.S. court, their Supreme Court, for standing up for humanity, democracy, and the foundations of the Republic against the legal theories of Hitler and Mussolini," expressed Gustavo Petro, referring to the latest decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The judicial body approved the halt this past Saturday of the new order to expel Venezuelans. This determination stems from emergency appeals filed by an organization denouncing that the Government of President Donald Trump attempted to expel more migrants to El Salvador.
However, tensions between both administrations have been evident in recent disagreements on immigration issues. "We have to prepare for things here," Petro clarified, alluding to the clear discrepancies. The most recent incident arose from an interview with the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, on Newsmax. In her statements, the official claimed that the Colombian leader was misunderstood regarding the members of the Aragua Train, "who were actually just people who needed love and understanding." Furthermore, Gustavo Petro allegedly confirmed that "some cartel members were his friends."
The Colombian president denied these claims, suggesting a possible translation error. Nonetheless, Gustavo Petro indicated that "in Colombia, they were young people excluded due to forced migration because they were living well in Venezuela."
Petro assumed the presidency on August 7, 2022. Since then, he has visited the United States on several occasions, mainly to participate in the UN General Assembly in New York. During these trips, he reportedly met with Joe Biden, predecessor of Donald Trump, and participated in private forums across various sectors.
If Gustavo Petro's visa revocation is confirmed, he would become the second Colombian president in office to have his permission revoked by the U.S. administration. In 1996, the U.S. revoked the visa of then-Colombian President Ernesto Samper (1994-1998) after allegations surfaced that drug money was used in his electoral campaign.