Colombian President Petro Says Trump Administration Yanked His US Visa

Colombian President Gustavo Petro made headlines this week after revealing that his travel visa to the United States was revoked by the Trump administration. The announcement came during a cabinet meeting when Petro was asked if he would be attending upcoming international gatherings in Washington, D.C. later this year.

Petro told reporters, "I can no longer go because I believe they took away my visa." He followed up with a quip, saying, "I didn’t need to have one, but anyway, I’ve already seen Donald Duck several times, so I’ll go see other things." Guess even presidents can’t resist a Disney joke when politics gets rough.

The U.S. State Department has declined to comment on the matter, citing the confidentiality of visa records. This silence leaves the public to speculate about the behind-the-scenes drama.

Petro’s visa woes come just months after he faced pressure from former President Trump, initially refusing but eventually agreeing to accept deportation flights from the U.S. military. It seems the diplomatic dance between Colombia and the U.S. has had more twists than a soap opera lately.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Colombia in late March, meeting with Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia. The two officials announced a new data-sharing deal aimed at helping U.S. authorities better identify illegal immigrants. Noem described their conversation as "candid" and highlighted the boost in regional security cooperation: "Through this expansion of sharing of biometric data, it will be much more efficient, effective, accurate, and it will also build cooperation that will open doors to new ways that we can continue to work together."

With diplomatic tensions and data deals flying back and forth, it’s clear that U.S.-Colombia relations are as complicated as ever. But if Petro’s not heading to D.C., maybe he will finally get to watch something other than American politics for a change.