Colombia's president canceled a planned meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after being pressured to do so by Trump administration officials, according to reports.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro scrapped a scheduled meeting and public event with Mamdani after U.S. diplomats informed Colombia's government that such an appearance could violate the terms under which Petro was allowed to enter the United States, The Washington Post first reported Wednesday.
The meeting would have marked one of Mamdani's first high-profile engagements with a foreign leader since becoming mayor of New York City.
Petro was in New York this week to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting.
The New York Times reported that the Colombian leader's visa had previously been revoked by the State Department and that he was granted only limited permission to travel to the United States for official U.N. business.
State Department officials reportedly contacted Colombia's Foreign Ministry and made clear that activities outside Petro's approved itinerary were not permitted.
Colombian officials subsequently agreed to cancel the meeting.
The dispute stems from long-running tensions between Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, and the Trump administration.
According to both the Post and Times reports, the State Department revoked Petro's visa after he appeared at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York last year and urged U.S. military personnel to disobey presidential orders related to American foreign policy.
"A visa is a privilege, not a right," a State Department official told reporters.
The official said individuals who encourage American troops to disregard orders from the duly elected commander in chief risk losing access to the United States.
The Post reported that Colombian officials interpreted the U.S. position as a serious warning and quickly shortened Petro's trip, eliminating the possibility of the event with Mamdani.
The planned forum reportedly would have focused on democracy, income inequality, and governing issues, while also highlighting the relationship between two prominent figures on the political left.
The episode marks the latest flashpoint involving Mamdani and President Donald Trump.
While the two briefly appeared to improve relations following a White House meeting earlier this year, Trump has repeatedly criticized the self-described democratic socialist mayor and accused him of pushing policies that would damage New York City.