Colombian president Gustavo Petro claimed on Tuesday that his US travel visa has been revoked by “Donald Duck,” referring to US president Donald Trump.
“I can no longer go because I believe they took away my visa,” Petro told officials during a cabinet meeting in Bogota. He then added in a dig at Trump, 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,” local media The City Paper Bogota, quoted Petro as saying.
Petro also explained that the move is preventing him from attending the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Washington, DC.
Petro did not offer proof of the visa cancellation, and the US State Department declined to confirm or deny the claim, according to New York Post. In a statement, a spokesperson said, “Visa records are confidential under US law; therefore, we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases.”
Tensions between Petro and Trump flared earlier this year when the Colombian president initially refused to accept deported migrants from the US. Petro, a former guerrilla and leftist leader, had criticised the deportations, saying Colombian nationals were being treated like “criminals.”
The Trump administration responded with threats of visa sanctions, added scrutiny for Colombian travellers, and tariffs of up to 50%. Under pressure, Petro reversed his stance and even offered to use his presidential plane to assist with returning deported Colombians.
At the time, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the events showed that “America is respected again.”
