Outgoing Marxist President of Colombia Gustavo Petro will travel to New York on Tuesday to preside over a U.N. Security Council debate as part of a broader two-day itinerary at the United Nations.
According to Colombian state media, Petro is expected to meet with New York’s socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani later this week.
Petro’s trip marks the second time he visits the United States in 2026 after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in February, a meeting preceded by months of active hostilities from Petro against Trump. His latest visit to New York, which will reportedly run through June 11, occurs less than a year after Petro visited the state in September 2025 and engaged in a series of controversial actions and speeches against President Trump. Most prominently, Petro attended a “pro-Palestine” event in which he publicly called for the U.S. military to disobey President Trump as commander-in-chief. The U.S. State Department had revoked Petro’s U.S. visa in response to his actions prior to allowing him to visit the United States again for his February meeting with President Trump.
Colombia holds the United Nations Security Council’s rotating presidency for the month of June 2026. On Wednesday, Petro is reportedly slated to preside over a U.N. Security Council open debate titled, “Advancing Political Solutions in the Middle East: Mediation and Dialogue for Lasting Peace.” The event is part of the Security Council’s “Maintenance of international peace and security” schedule.
According to Colombian outlets, Petro is scheduled to attend other U.N.-related events throughout his stay in New York. The Colombian public broadcaster RTVC reported that Petro will meet with socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani on June 12 at a leftist “Dignity in Democracy” summit that will see them discuss “social inequality, democratic strengthening, and the concentration of economic power.”
Colombia’s Caracol Radio noted on Tuesday that it remains publicly unclear if the encounter between Petro and Mandani will take place, as it is reportedly scheduled for June 12 — a day after Petro’s alleged June 11 return date to Colombia. Petro has met Mandani in the past and publicly celebrated his victory in the November 2025 mayoral election.
Petro’s trip to New York occurs hours after he prompted yet another controversy when he wrote the German Nazi salute “Heil Hitler” on a social media post. He wrote the Nazi phrase in response to an opinion piece published by Colombian journalist Felipe Zuleta Llera for the newspaper El Espectador supportive of outsider conservative Abelardo de la Espriella, the frontrunner candidate of the upcoming June 21 presidential runoff.
President Petro is currently in the final two months of his four-year presidency. On August 7, 2026, he will be succeeded by the winner of the June 21 presidential runoff between de la Espriella and Petro’s protegé, far-left Senator Iván Cepeda. Petro is barred from running for president again, as the Colombian constitution strictly states that no president may serve beyond a single, four-year term.
Petro’s message immediately inspired widespread condemnation, including from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which described Petro’s use of the Nazi salute as “a total loss of moral compass and an indelible stain on Colombia’s legacy.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) also condemned Petro for the post.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, noting that Petro will preside over Wednesday’s U.N. Security Council debate, said on social media that he hopes the Colombian president comes to his senses and apologizes.
“President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, whatever is going on in your personal life, there are lines that must never be crossed. Using Nazi slogans is a disgraceful low from which there is no coming back,” Amb. Danon wrote on Sunday.
Petro has not issued an apology for his “Heil Hitler” post at press time. Instead, he quoted the original post on late Monday night and wrote, “This tweet shows how Felipe Zuleta’s article has shifted from a liberal stance to endorsing fascist slogans like ‘by reason or by force’; if force is used without reason, you’re right in the midst of Nazism.” Petro offered no clarification of the content of his message.
On Monday, a group of 24 Latin American lawmakers affiliated with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) signed a joint statement condemning Petro’s use of the Nazi Germany salute “Heil Hitler.” The legislators, hailing from 14 different countries, stressed in the statement that the use of Nazi expressions is improper in democratic debate — emphasizing that, in this case, the “Heil Hitler” salute came from a head of state.
“The use of references to Nazism must not become a rhetorical tool to discredit political or ideological positions. Democratic leaders have a responsibility to promote a respectful public debate that is conscious of the weight of words,” the statement read.
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