Petro Rebukes Trump's Public Endorsement of Colombian Far-Right Candidate: 'Allow the People to Decide Freely'

Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly urged President Donald Trump not to interfere in Colombia's presidential election after Trump reiterated his support for opposition candidate Abelardo de la Espriella ahead of the June 21 runoff.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said on Wednesday that Colombia would have Washington's "total support" if de la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and dual U.S.-Colombian citizen, wins the election against Iván Cepeda, a left-wing senator aligned with Petro.

Petro responded on X:

"I request, as President of Colombia, that you not intervene in the campaign that the people of Colombia decide freely—and not you"

He added that whoever wins the election would maintain the two countries' longstanding relationship "one because their homeland is the US and the other because their homeland is Colombia, lover of Liberty and Life."

The exchange comes as a new AtlasIntel poll shows de la Espriella leading the race with 52.2% support compared with 44.5% for Cepeda.

The dispute marks the latest episode in a turbulent relationship between Petro and Trump. Although relations improved following a meeting between the two leaders in Washington earlier this year, tensions have resurfaced in recent weeks.

Petro traveled to New York this week to preside over a United Nations Security Council debate, but a planned meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was canceled after U.S. officials warned that it could violate the limited travel authorization under which Petro was allowed to enter the country, according to officials cited by The New York Times.

The newspaper reported that Petro's U.S. visa was revoked last year after he attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Manhattan, criticized U.S. support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza and called on American soldiers to disobey presidential orders. A State Department spokesperson said at the time that "a visa is a privilege, not a right."

Meanwhile, Colombia's election campaign has become increasingly contentious in recent weeks. Earlier this week, a member of the congressional commission investigating Petro attempted to suspend him from office until after the runoff over alleged participation in campaign activities. Government officials and legal experts quickly challenged the measure, arguing that only the Senate has constitutional authority to suspend a sitting president.

The runoff is scheduled for June 21, with de la Espriella entering the final stretch as the favorite in most recent polling.