Colombia’s Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio has renounced her US visa in protest at Washington’s decision to revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the government confirmed on Monday.
The move underscores growing tensions between Bogotá and Washington, fueled by disagreements over drug policy, the war in Gaza, and the recent US naval build-up near neighboring Venezuela.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry did not specify the type of visa Villavicencio held but said in a statement that she was “not interested in diplomatic visas that restrict freedom of expression or undermine national sovereignty.”
The US State Department cancelled President Petro’s visa last Friday following his participation in a protest in New York against the war in Gaza. During the demonstration, Petro, wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh and using a loudspeaker, called for the creation of an international army to liberate the West Bank and Gaza.
He also urged US soldiers to “disobey” orders from President Donald Trump, insisting they should “never point their guns at humanity.”
Hours after the rally, the State Department announced on X that it had revoked Petro’s visa due to what it described as his “reckless and inflammatory actions.”
The development marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic friction, raising concerns about the future of US-Colombian relations at a time when both countries face pressing regional security and political challenges.
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