The administration of Donald Trump intervened to prevent a meeting that Colombian President Gustavo Petro had planned with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani during the South American leader's visit to the United States to participate in activities related to the United Nations. The decision represents a new chapter in the complex relationship between the White House and the Colombian leader.
According to published information, Mamdani and Petro were planning to hold a political meeting in New York. However, the State Department intervened to prevent the meeting from taking place. U.S. officials believed that the meeting could become a platform for mutual legitimization for two figures identified with progressive and communist sectors.
According to reports, the Trump administration had warned that the meeting could generate consequences related to the restrictions previously imposed on Petro by U.S. authorities. The diplomatic pressure ultimately led to the cancellation of the meeting before it could take place.
The episode occurs in a particularly sensitive context for Colombia. The country is in the midst of a campaign for the presidential runoff, where the ruling candidate Iván Cepeda seeks to succeed Petro, while Abelardo De La Espriella has the backing of broad conservative sectors and has received signals of support from Donald Trump's circle.
