Colombian President Alleges U.S. Visa Revocation, Calls Trump ‘Donald Duck’ – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
11:48 AM – Tuesday, April 22, 2025
The leftist president of Colombia has stated that he feels unwelcome in the United States. This statement comes after his refusal to accept additional U.S. flights transporting Colombian nationals who entered the U.S. illegally, as well as those identified as terrorists linked to cartels and the Tren de Aragua (TdA).
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However, this morning, the news outlet El Espectador refuted the claim, referencing diplomatic sources from the U.S. The outlet reported that even though the Colombia-U.S. relationship has encountered challenges this year, diplomatic communications remain active — as highlighted by Colombia 1.
Moreover, additional emerging reports assert that there is no evidence supporting such an action, and Petro has not received any formal notice regarding a visa revocation.
Gustavo Petro, the nation’s first leftist leader, suggested that the Trump administration might have revoked his visa to attend meetings organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
Petro reiterated that the U.S. “may have” canceled his visa — amid rising tensions between the two nations concerning illegal immigration and diplomatic strategies.
He is expected to be succeeded by the new Minister of Finance Germán Avila, who is in Washington, D.C., this week. Avila has previously led Grupo Bicentenario, a state financial conglomerate, and founded the Cooperativa Nacional de Ahorro y Credito “Crear Cooperativa,” which focuses on savings and loans for social housing.
“I can’t go anymore because I think they took away my visa,” Petro mentioned during a Cabinet meeting at Casa de Narino, the presidential palace in Bogota, according to the EFE news agency on Monday.
“I didn’t need a visa, but oh well. I’ve seen ‘Donald Duck’ several times, so I’m going to see other things,” he added.
These remarks follow previous warnings from the Trump administration, which had suggested that it might revoke visas for high-ranking Colombian officials after Petro’s government refused to accept flights bringing back Colombian citizens who entered the U.S. illegally, particularly those associated with TdA and local cartels.
In September 2024, Petro visited the United States for a climate summit in Chicago and the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.
Despite being hosted at the White House by former President Joe Biden in April 2023, tensions with the Trump administration have persisted. The Colombian president encountered conflict with Trump when he refused two military flights bringing deported Colombian nationals on January 26th.
Trump retaliated by threatening to impose a 25% tariff on imports and additional visa restrictions and sanctions.
“I have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures,” Trump expressed on his Truth Social account. All “party members, family members, and supporters of the Colombian government also will face visa sanctions,” he added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the escalating diplomatic divide, asserting that President Petro had initially agreed to accept the deportation flights but suddenly retracted that agreement when the planes were already in transit.
In response, Petro declared that U.S. imports would incur a 25% tax, although he later relented and consented to accept the deported individuals.
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