Plans for New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani to meet with Colombia’s outgoing leftist president, Gustavo Petro, have been canceled by the Trump administration.
Mamdani was set to meet Petro during his visit to New York for a United Nations event. This followed an incident where Petro tweeted “Heil Hitler” in response to an op-ed supporting the right-wing presidential candidate, as reported by a news outlet.
According to anonymous sources, Mr. Hitzner was ready to have discussions around democracy in the Americas with Petro, who is seen as a rising figure among global leftists. However, the U.S. and Colombian officials met in Bogotá, leading the State Department to label the meeting as unacceptable, which resulted in the quiet cancellation of the engagement.
Colombian officials reportedly interpreted the State Department’s stance as a warning that Petro could be arrested at the venue.
A State Department official shared with the media that Petro’s visit would breach visa regulations imposed after President Trump publicly urged U.S. military personnel to ignore him during a protest in New York City with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters.
“Visas are a privilege, not a right,” the official commented, adding that anyone who calls on U.S. soldiers to defy the commands of the elected President risks having their U.S. visa revoked.
While Petro’s meeting was eliminated from his schedule for U.N. Security Council events, he is still permitted to attend other functions at the headquarters.
After the breakdown of the discussions, Bogotá’s president informed Mamdani’s office that Petro’s trip would be shortened and any talks would not occur.
Federal prosecutors in both Brooklyn and Manhattan are also looking into Petro’s possible connections to drug traffickers, a detail that surfaced in late March.
Petro, a former rebel leader, has frequently criticized the Trump administration for various policies, including its support for Israel and its harsh stance on immigration. In the wake of the January detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump suggested Colombia and Petro might be next in the U.S. drug trafficking crackdown.
In a recent and controversial tweet, Petro stated, “Since the 1989 peace agreement, I vowed never to touch a weapon again, and for the sake of my country, I will take up arms again.”
After a meeting with world leaders at the White House in February, Trump described Petro as “amazing,” though a State Department official noted that Trump tried to find common ground while expressing frustration at Petro’s continued provocative behaviors.
Both Trump and Mamdani attended a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden recently, though they were not seen together. Interestingly, despite political tensions, the president has kept a reasonably friendly relationship with the mayor since his election.
Neither the White House nor City Hall promptly responded to requests for comments on the situation.
