Petro hits back at US, says ‘I don’t need your visa, I’m a free citizen of the world’
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Petro hits back at US, says ‘I don’t need your visa, I’m a free citizen of the world’")
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Inset: US President Donald Trump Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP and X)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has dismissed the revocation of his US visa, saying "I don't care" since he is also a European citizen, and claimed the move for “denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whose US visa was revoked by the State Department on Friday (Sep 26) has dismissed the decision, saying "I don't care". In a statement on X, the Colombian leader slammed the United States, saying that the nation's revocation of his visa for "denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law". This comes as the United States announced that it was revoking Colombian President Gustavo Petro's visa over what it called "reckless and incendiary actions" during a pro-Palestinian street protest in New York. Announcing the action in an X post, the US State Department said that Petro stood on a New York City street and "urged US soldiers to disobey" President Donald Trump's orders and attempted to "incite violence".
Also read | Colombian President Gustavo Petro asks US Army to ‘disobey Trump’ — Washington revokes his visa
Petro dismisses US visa revocation
On X, Petro said, "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".
He added that "Revoking it (the visa) for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law".
Did Gustavo Petro ask the US army to disobey Trump?
According to the US State Department post, "Earlier today, Colombian president @petrogustavo stood on a NYC street and urged US soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence". "We will revoke Petro's visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions," it added.
In a video Petro posted on his social media account, the Colombian president can be heard talking to a large crowd, addressing them in Spanish. His translator then relays his comment in English, calling on the "nations of the world" to contribute soldiers for an army "larger than that of the United States."
"That is why, from here in New York, I ask all soldiers in the United States Army not to point their rifles at humanity. Disobey Trump's order! Obey the order of humanity!" added the Colombian president.
Genocide in Gaza
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A UN inquiry found that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide; however, Tel Aviv has repeatedly denied the charges and claims that its actions are self-defence.
