Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday dismissed the United States’ decision to revoke his visa and accused Washington of violating international law over his criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Reuters reports.
The US said on Friday that it would revoke Petro’s visa after he took to New York’s streets on Friday to join a pro-Palestinian demonstration and urged US soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders.
“I no longer have a visa to travel to the United States. I don’t care. I don’t need a visa … because I’m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world,” Petro said on social media.
“Revoking it for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law,” he added on a post on X.
Petro, addressing a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters outside UN headquarters in Manhattan, called for a global armed force with the priority to liberate Palestinians and urged US soldiers, “Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”