U.S. blocks NYC mayor meeting with Colombian president

A planned meeting between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Colombian President Gustavo Petro was canceled this week after U.S. officials intervened, citing visa restrictions placed on the Colombian leader. The diplomatic move has further strained relations between the United States and Colombia during a tense period ahead of Colombia's presidential runoff election.

Petro was in New York to preside over Colombia's rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council. A private bilateral meeting with Mayor Mamdani, followed by a public forum on democracy, had been scheduled for Friday, June 12. According to officials, U.S. diplomats contacted Colombia's foreign ministry in Bogotá and stated the engagement was "unacceptable" because it would violate the terms of Petro's limited travel authorization.

The State Department revoked Petro's standard visa last September after he attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Manhattan. During that event, Petro criticized U.S. support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza and called on American soldiers to disobey presidential orders. A State Department official reiterated that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and stated any...