The United States has taken action against Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro for openly encouraging military personnel to disobey President Donald Trump.
Petro on Friday addressed pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, where he echoed his call for the formation of an armed force to free Palestine.
Citing the support of many countries, who are campaigning for the recognition of a state of Palestine, the Colombian leader said the global force has to be bigger than that of America.
“I ask all the soldiers of the army of the U.S. not to point their rifles at humanity,” Petro charged. “Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”
In response to the comment, the United States government noted that while within its territory, Petro urged American soldiers to flout orders and provoke violence.
“We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions,” the Department of State indicated in a post on X.
Colombia’s Caracol Radio, however, reported that the president had already boarded a flight to leave when the State Department announced the sanction.
Petro’s remarks has again pitched Washington against Bogota, which criticizes the U.S. for backing Israel’s military operation that has destroyed a large part of Gaza and claimed thousands of lives.
