Colombian President Gustavo Petro revealed he has been barred from entering the United States, claiming his visa was revoked in what appears to be a sharp diplomatic rift with the Trump administration.
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president and a former guerrilla fighter, said he would no longer attend the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington, D.C., after allegedly having his travel authorization pulled.
“I can’t go anymore because I think they’ve revoked my visa,” Petro said Monday during a ministerial meeting.
“I didn’t need a visa, but hey, I’ve seen Donald Duck several times. So, I’m off to see other things.”
The jab appeared to be a veiled reference to former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration reportedly took action following tensions between the two nations earlier this year.
In January, the Colombian government refused to accept two U.S. military flights carrying deported Colombian nationals.
In response, Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Colombia and implement sweeping visa restrictions targeting officials, party members, and allies of Petro’s administration.
State Department officials have yet to confirm the visa revocation.
Petro previously visited the U.S. in 2024, attending a climate summit in Chicago and the UN General Assembly in New York. He also visited the White House in 2023 under the Biden administration.
Trump’s crackdown follows a social media spat with Petro over the deportation of 201 Colombians, who were returned in late January under heavy security.
Images showed Red Cross staff and airport personnel assisting the returnees upon arrival in Bogotá.
Trump’s announcement, posted on Truth Social, declared immediate visa cancellations and sanctions against Colombian government officials and supporters, marking a significant escalation in U.S.–Colombia relations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later accused Petro of backtracking on an agreement to receive the deportees, sparking the diplomatic fallout.
Though Petro initially responded with threats of tariffs on U.S. goods, he ultimately backed down and accepted the deportees.
