Trump Administration Blocks Mamdani Meeting With Anti-Israel Colombian President

The cancellation came just days after Petro sparked outrage by posting “Heil Hitler” on social media.

By United with Israel Staff

The Trump administration reportedly blocked a planned meeting between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Colombian President Gustavo Petro amid growing controversy surrounding Petro’s anti-Israel positions and recent inflammatory rhetoric.

The meeting was scheduled to take place on the sidelines of United Nations events in New York this week but was canceled after the U.S. State Department objected to the Colombian leader’s participation, according to a report in The Washington Post.

A State Department official told The Washington Post that Petro’s participation in the meeting would violate restrictions placed on his visa after he publicly urged American troops to disobey President Donald Trump during a protest in New York alongside controversial activist and Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters.

During the event, Petro declared: “I ask all the soldiers of the army of the U.S. not to point their rifles at humanity. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”

The State Department cited the remarks as a key reason for opposing travel activities beyond Petro’s official United Nations obligations.

“A visa is a privilege, not a right,” a State Department official told The Washington Post.

“Any individual’s U.S. visa is at risk of revocation if they visit America and outrageously implore U.S. soldiers to disobey orders of the duly elected president of the United States.”

The cancellation came just days after Petro sparked outrage by posting “Heil Hitler” on social media in response to an opinion article supporting Colombia’s conservative presidential candidate ahead of the country’s June 21 runoff election.

The post drew widespread condemnation, including from the Anti-Defamation League.

“The president of Colombia posted, ‘Heil Hitler.’ In 2026,” the ADL wrote on X. “An elected head of state shouldn’t have to be told why posting a Nazi slogan is monstrous and unacceptable.”

Petro has also become one of Israel’s most outspoken critics in the Western Hemisphere. Since taking office, he has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and has aligned Colombia with some of the world’s most aggressive anti-Israel diplomatic initiatives.

In 2024, Petro severed diplomatic relations with Israel, opened a Colombian embassy in Ramallah, joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and intensified his criticism of Jerusalem throughout the war against Hamas.

The canceled meeting is likely to attract additional scrutiny because of Mamdani’s own record of criticism of Israel. The Democratic mayor has faced criticism from pro-Israel and Jewish groups over his positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his handling of anti-Israel activism.

Colombian officials later informed Mamdani’s office that Petro’s itinerary had been shortened and would no longer include the planned conversation.