Colombian President Gustavo Petro recently publicly stated that he has been banned from entering the United States, and his planned trip to attend the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) had to be canceled. It is said that this was due to his U.S. visa being revoked.

Petro is the first left-wing president in Colombian history and was once a member of the "April 19 Movement" (M-19) guerrilla organization. Since taking office in 2022, he has been known on the international stage for advocating social justice, opposing the drug war, and promoting regional integration. However, there have been constant frictions with the current U.S. administration, particularly during the Trump presidency.

Petro originally planned to visit Washington this week to attend the high-level economic conference jointly hosted by the IMF and the World Bank, and meet with multiple Latin American and U.S. fiscal policy officials. But he announced at a cabinet meeting on Monday: "I can't go anymore. I believe they have revoked my visa." He sarcastically added: "Although I don't need a visa to watch Donald Duck on TV, I've had enough of that and now want to see other things."

The U.S. State Department has not yet officially responded to whether the visa has been revoked.

The spark for this diplomatic incident was on January 26th when Colombia refused to allow two U.S. military-chartered flights carrying repatriated immigrants to land within its territory. The U.S. had planned to deport approximately 160 illegal Colombian immigrants, but Petro's government rejected the plan citing "humanitarian, safety, and sovereignty considerations," causing strong dissatisfaction from the White House.

Former President Trump quickly posted on his social platform "Truth Social," announcing a series of retaliatory measures against Colombia. He wrote: "I have instructed the government to immediately implement the following urgent and decisive actions." These actions included imposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Colombia, revoking entry visas for Colombian officials and their allies, and implementing travel bans. He also threatened that if the Colombian government continued to refuse cooperation, additional 25% taxes would be levied.

In Trump's statement, it was clearly stated: "All Colombian government officials, their families, and supporters will face visa restrictions." The White House emphasized that this move was aimed at maintaining the seriousness and enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.

Under this series of tough measures, Colombia saw a polarized reaction domestically. Supporters believed that Petro was defending national sovereignty and human dignity, while opponents criticized him for "irritating the United States and sacrificing national interests." Subsequently, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also joined the criticism, stating that Petro had originally agreed to accept the deportation flights but suddenly refused after the planes took off, further damaging diplomatic trust.

In response to Trump's sanctions, the Petro government once announced a 25% retaliatory tariff on U.S. imports and "reassessed trade arrangements with the United States." However, facing the risk of U.S. economic pressure and diplomatic isolation, Colombia eventually declared "conditional" acceptance of the relevant illegal immigrants a few days later to avoid further escalation of the situation.

In recent years, despite frequent contacts with leftist Latin American countries including Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, attempting to promote the "Latin American self-reliance foreign policy route," Petro's relations with Washington have grown colder, especially with significant differences in drug policies, energy cooperation, and immigration affairs.

It is worth noting that Petro's last visit to the U.S. was in September 2024, when he attended the Chicago Climate Conference and the United Nations General Assembly and criticized the "double standards" of Western countries on environmental issues on multiple occasions. In April 2023, he was received at the White House by former President Joe Biden, but relations between the two sides have noticeably cooled since then.

The current situation shows that tensions between Colombia and the U.S. are rapidly spreading from immigration disputes to economic and diplomatic fields. As Trump's administration becomes less tolerant of left-leaning Latin American leaders, this incident may become a turning point in bilateral relations.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496252957214786088/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by clicking the [Like/Dislike] button below.