The United States Department of State defended this Thursday its decision to deny the visa to the former mayor of Barcelona and candidate for the Presidency of the Spanish Government for the Broad Front, Ada Colau, emphasizing that entry into U.S. territory "is a privilege, not a right." With these explanations, Washington responds to the criticisms of the leader, who has attributed the travel ban to Puerto Rico to a "political" and ideological veto linked to her participation in a flotilla of aid to Gaza.
A spokesperson for the Department of State indicated to Europa Press that, under the mandate of U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Administration is "putting American interests first in our visa process." "As Secretary Rubio has said, a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right," the U.S. diplomacy emphasized, specifying that each request is analyzed "on a case-by-case basis after a rigorous review and thorough investigation to determine if the individual is eligible under U.S. law."
The clarifications from Washington come after Colau made public that U.S. authorities have prevented her from traveling to Puerto Rico — a territory with the status of a freely associated state — where she was scheduled to speak in two weeks at the international municipalist meeting 'Fearless Cities', to which the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, is also invited. After the denial of the electronic authorization (ESTA) — which was granted to the rest of the members of her delegation — the former Catalan councilor went to an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid 15 days ago.
According to the candidate's environment, the questioning by consular staff focused almost exclusively on her pro-Palestinian activism and on the three days she was held in Israel after participating in the Flotilla to Gaza. Finally, Colau's team received the final denial, formally justified by the alleged "suspicion that she wants to illegally migrate to the country," a reason they consider a pretext to cover up a decision of a strictly political nature.
The "rigorous review" cited by the State Department is in line with the hardline stance adopted by the Trump Administration against initiatives supporting Palestine. Last April, the U.S. government firmly condemned the solidarity flotilla in which Colau participated, labeling it a "pro-Hamas initiative" promoted by an organization sanctioned for terrorism, and warned of possible legal repercussions for those who joined it.
Colau's Criticism and Political Reactions in Spain
After the veto was confirmed, Colau has lashed out at what she interprets as a new display of the "authoritarianism that Trump embodies." "It is striking that Trump fills his mouth with the word freedom, but then he is closing his borders to anyone he simply doesn't like, because in my case, he had no legal argument," the candidate of the Broad Front reproached.
The resolution from the United States has triggered numerous expressions of support within her political space. The federal coordinator of United Left (IU), Antonio Maíllo, has described what happened as a "paradox," comparing it to the recent visit to Spain by Argentine President Javier Milei. "He can enter (Milei) Spain to talk about cuts, but Colau cannot enter the United States to talk about rights," he pointed out.
Likewise, the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, has stated that Colau "should feel honored" by the veto, and contrasted her attitude with that of right-wing parties that "pretend to be patriots but turn their backs on Trump and Netanyahu."