NEW YORK CITY — A scheduled meeting between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Colombian President Gustavo Petro was canceled after pressure from the Trump administration. Petro was visiting the United States during Colombia's rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council.
Colombian officials notified New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office that Petro's trip was shortened to exclude the planned engagement. The intended engagement included a private bilateral discussion and a public event focused on Western democracy. United States and Colombian officials had met in Bogotá, where State Department representatives characterized the planned meeting as unacceptable.
A State Department official stated that the planned meeting would violate existing visa restrictions placed on Petro. The official added, "A visa is a privilege, not a right. Any individual's US visa is at risk of revocation if they visit America and outrageously implore US soldiers to disobey orders of the duly elected president of the United States. Under our UN headquarters agreements, we allow diplomats to the UN, but Office of Foreign Assets Control and visa sanctions remain in place."
Petro had accused the United States of being complicit in genocide in Gaza. He also condemned United States strikes on vessels allegedly carrying narcotics and criticized the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Petro stated, "Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity." He also posted on X, stating, "I swore not to touch a weapon again since the 1989 Peace Pact, but for the homeland, I will take up arms again."
Adam Isacson, a Colombia expert, stated, "One doesn't have to like Gustavo Petro to recognize that he isn't in the same category as those leaders. If this is a new precedent of world leaders who criticize this administration having their UN visits truncated, then they will stop coming." Isacson also stated, "He's not a dictator. His term ends in two months. It appears that he's being punished for the crime of criticizing the Trump administration."
Trump and Petro met at the White House in February. Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January, Trump suggested Colombia could be a future target of United States drug enforcement operations. A State Department official stated that Trump attempted to find common ground during the February meeting, but noted that Petro continued his previous political behavior.