U.S. Blocks Petro-Mamdani Meeting Over Visa Limits on U.N. Trip
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11
U.S. Blocks Petro-Mamdani Meeting Over Visa Limits on U.N. Trip
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11
Summary
A Friday meeting between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was canceled after U.S. diplomats warned it would breach Petro’s restricted entry terms.
Petro was allowed into the United States only for a Wednesday U.N. Security Council meeting because the State Department revoked his visa last fall, officials said.
Colombia scrapped the meeting after the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá contacted its foreign ministry about the planned stop outside the approved itinerary.
The visa cancellation followed Petro’s September appearance at a pro-Palestinian rally in Manhattan, where he condemned U.S. backing for Israel’s war in Gaza and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey orders.
The episode adds to a string of clashes between Petro and the Trump administration, which said a U.S. visa is a privilege and remains at risk of revocation.