There are some who wish you weren’t present.
The State Department declared on Friday that it will cancel the visa of Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, following his call for U.S. military personnel to “disobey” orders from President Trump during a protest in New York City alongside the controversial co-founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters.
“Earlier today, Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged U.S. soldiers to rebel against commands and promote violence on a NYC street,” the State Department stated in a post on X.
“We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his dangerous and inflammatory comments.”
While attending the United Nations General Assembly, Petro utilized a bullhorn outside the UN building to declare, “soldiers of the United States army, do not point your weapons at people.”
“Disobey the orders of Trump,” he urged a gathering of anti-Israel activists. “Follow the commands of humanity!”
Waters, who co-founded Pink Floyd, was next to Petro as he made his provocative statements.
The duo later took pictures beside a large Palestinian flag.
“Here with Roger Waters. Free Palestine,” Petro posted on X, sharing footage of himself with Waters.
“If Gaza collapses, humanity perishes.”
Trump had previously engaged in disputes with Petro earlier this year concerning migrant deportation, where he threatened to impose visa sanctions, increase assessments for travelers, and introduce emergency tariffs of up to 50% on Colombia due to Petro’s refusal to accept repatriated Colombian citizens.
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Petro, a former member of a leftist guerrilla group, quickly changed his stance following Trump’s warning and even proposed that the U.S. utilize his presidential aircraft for transporting migrants back to Colombia.
Waters is known for his staunch opposition to Israel and for being a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.
He has gained notoriety for making anti-Israel statements, such as equating the Jewish State to Nazi Germany.
The musician incited indignation in 2023 when he donned a Nazi officer’s uniform during a concert in Berlin, while a screen shaped like a crucifix displayed the names of historic figures, including Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl murdered during the Holocaust, alongside Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist tragically killed in 2022 while covering an Israeli Defense Forces raid on a Palestinian refugee camp.
“Good morning to everyone except Roger Waters, who spent the evening in Berlin (Yes, Berlin) defiling the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews who were slain in the Holocaust,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry tweeted after the event.
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Waters was questioned about his citizenship status in the U.S.
“No, I’m not,” the rock musician stated. “I have a visa. I contribute taxes—a significant amount of taxes.”
