Petro reshuffling diplomatic missions with loyal ambassadors
Tuesday, September 30th 2025 – 09:48 UTC
Petro ordered all ambassadors belonging to what he called the feudal diplomacy removed from their posts
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Monday that he would replace all current ambassadors belonging to the so-called “feudal diplomacy,” who do not align with his principles. “I am, by Constitution, the director of Colombia’s foreign relations,” he stressed, warning those not sharing his views “will not leave Colombia.”
In that line, Petro ordered the removal of all diplomats who do not follow his policy, stating, All the ambassadors, whom I call white because they were raised in feudal diplomacy, are leaving. He made this announcement after being expelled from the United States with his visa revoked for staging a pro-Palestine rally in New York during the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
Petro also accused Washington of violating international law by denying visas to officials scheduled to attend debates at the UN headquarters and insisted that the UN cannot bow down to a government [US] that is complicit in [the] genocide allegedly perpetrated by Israel in Gaza. He thus suggested that the UN headquarters should not remain in New York.
During Monday’s cabinet meeting, Petro revealed a separate issue, stating that Israelis are taking over downtown Bogotá for the purpose of trafficking women. He announced that he had instructed the police to put an end to this problem, also noting that Medellín was a major hub for trafficking. He mentioned successfully coordinating with the Mexican government to rescue seven young women who were victims of trafficking.
In solidarity with the US measures against Petro, Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio announced her irrevocable renunciation of her US visa. The dignity of our nation is not negotiable, she argued, while accusing the Donald Trump administration of meddling in Colombian affairs. (See also: Three South American countries singled out by US for not fighting drug trafficking )
In a separate development, President Petro’s eldest son, Nicolás, is facing a disciplinary trial for illicit enrichment. The Prosecutor’s Office accuses him of an unjustified increase in his assets of nearly US$300,000. The investigation seeks to determine if these funds were acquired irregularly, including through money intended for his father’s 2022 presidential campaign.
Nicolás Petro is already awaiting the sentence of a separate criminal trial for alleged money laundering and illicit enrichment involving funds supposedly received from an extradited former drug trafficker, Samuel Santander Lopesierra. In the criminal case, Petro’s son revealed that he funneled part of the US$100,000 received from the trafficker into the presidential campaign, keeping another portion for himself. President Petro claims he was unaware of these transactions.
