Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly condemned the United States for preventing him from meeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a visit to New York for United Nations sessions, calling the interference "undemocratic." According to the Washington Post, Colombian authorities cancelled the planned meeting after American officials warned it would violate terms of a visa ban imposed on Petro last year following a diplomatic dispute with the Trump administration — meaning Petro may currently enter the US only on a diplomatic visa strictly limited to official duties. Petro also said he was barred from delivering a lecture in Boston, and the episode adds to a pattern of sharp tensions between the two leaders over issues including migrant deportations and drug trafficking policy.