Bogota, Colombia – The Foreign Minister of Colombia has gave up her American visa to protest against a decision of the US State Department To cancel the Colombian President Gustavo Petro visaThe Colombian government said on Monday.
Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicinsio’s decision comes at a time when tensions between the two countries escalate on issues that include Drug policyThe war in Gaza and The accumulation of the US Navy in the neighboring Venezuela.
Columbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions about Visa Villavicencio, but said in a statement that she was not interested in “diplomatic visas that limit opinions” or reduce the “sovereignty” of the nation.
Later on Monday, Colombian Finance Minister Germain Avila wrote in X that he would stop using his “solidarity” visa with Petro, and because of the “aggression” that she was exposed to the United States. “To work for our people, we do not need visas.”
The US State Department canceled the Petro visa on Friday after participating in a protest in New York against The war in GazaHe called on Petro to establish an international army to liberate the West Bank and Gaza.
Petro, who carries loudspeakers and wearing cafes, and a traditional Palestinian scarf, called on American soldiers to “disobey” President Donald Trump’s orders, adding that they should “not direct their rifles against humanity.”
Hours after the protest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would cancel the Petro visa “because of its reckless and burning actions.”
Petro returned to Colombia when the visa was released, after spent several days in New York in the presence of the United Nations General Assembly. He wrote on X that he “did not care” with the punishment because he is also an Italian citizen, and he may travel to the United States without a visa.
The cancellation of the Petro visa is the lowest new level in the left leader’s relations with the Trump administration, which was earlier this month Columbia on the list of countries that it says it says It does not meet Their international obligations to reduce drug trafficking.
Jeff Ramsey, a Colombia analyst at the Atlantic Council, said that the Foreign Minister’s decision to ban itself from visiting the United States puts more obstacles in the relationship. He also reflects an effort by the Petro administration to move away from the United States government, as Colombia is heading to Congress and presidential elections next year.
Ramsey said: “Petro does not care about a distance to fix the relationship with Washington,” Ramzi said. “It is clear that he is betting that confrontation with Trump will score points for his alliance in the upcoming electoral cycle, and he is ready to ignite the bilateral relationship with the United States in this process.”
David Hart, a migration lawyer in Miami, said it is very rare for non-immigrant visa holders-like those who have tourism or diplomatic visas-to give up the travel permit.
He said that people who do not want to travel to the United States can simply leave their visas to end and then choose not to renew them.
“They are doing this for the media and showing solidarity,” Hart said about the efforts of the Foreign Minister to abandon its visa.
Wilfredo Allen, a migration lawyer from Miami, said there is no official procedure to stop an unwilling visa. He added that the Foreign Minister of Colombia will probably have to send a message to the American embassy, ​​which is seeking to obtain its travel permit.
“If you don’t want to travel to the United States, you can simply choose not to come,” Allen said. “I haven’t seen someone to take enough time to give up an unexplained visa.”
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