President Donald Trump prevented New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from holding his first meeting with a foreign leader, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a fellow democratic socialist. The Washington Post reported that the Colombian government quietly canceled the meeting after a nudge from the US government.
US Intervention in Bilateral Meeting
A meeting between US and Colombian officials took place in Bogotá, where State Department officials made clear that this week's engagement was unacceptable, according to two people cited by the report. Petro, who posted 'Heil Hitler' in response to an op-ed supporting a right-wing presidential candidate, was in New York for United Nations events but canceled his private meeting with Mamdani.
Visa Restrictions and Criticism
“A visa is a privilege, not a right,” said a State Department official. “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.” If Petro had met Mamdani, he would have violated visa restrictions imposed after his criticism of US support for Israel's war in Gaza, officials said.
Colombia holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in June. Although the Trump administration revoked Petro’s visa last year for his public comments, it continues to allow travel to the UN under its responsibilities as host of the world body’s headquarters. Mamdani and Petro had planned a private bilateral meeting followed by a public event.
Expert Reactions
“One doesn’t have to like Gustavo Petro to recognize that he isn’t in the same category as those leaders,” Adam Isacson, a Colombia expert, told the Washington Post. “If this is a new precedent of world leaders who criticize this administration having their UN visits truncated, then they will stop coming.” Isacson added, “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.”
