The impact of the inclusion of President Gustavo Petro in the so-called Clinton list ceased to be only political and diplomatic, but materialized in a severe logistical setback that affected the president’s official trip to the Middle East.
The incident occurred at the Madrid-Barajas Airport, Spain, where the Colombian Air Force plane, in which the head of state was traveling, faced the refusal of several companies to supply it with fuel.
The Sanction Materializes in Spain
The logistical difficulty arose because fuel supply companies, mostly with American capital, were forced to abide by the restrictions imposed by the US Treasury Department.
According to the director of La W, Julio Sánchez Cristo, the problem originated because “several of the companies that provide service in Madrid are North American,” forcing the presidential aircraft to look for a refueling alternative.
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The impasse put the delegation’s itinerary in check. Faced with the emergency, the direct intervention of the Spanish Government was necessary. The presidential plane had to be transferred to a base, where it was finally supplied with the necessary fuel to continue its route.
According to senior sources close to the Casa de Nariño, this restriction underlines the immediate reach of the OFAC List, which not only fell on President Gustavo Petro, but also on the First Lady, Verónica Alcocer, her son Nicolás Petro and the Minister of the Interior, Armando Benedetti.
Reaction of the president
The logistical setback on the international tour adds to the climate of uncertainty that Petro has generated in the country. In the middle of his trip, the president used his X account to launch a direct challenge to Colombian financial entities due to fear of possible account closures derived from the US sanction.
Let’s see if the banks in Colombia obey the law of a foreign country or the superintendence of public services and the Constitutional Court. https://t.co/arHvz1Wexn
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) October 28, 2025
The president wondered if national banks “obey the law of a foreign country or the Superintendence of Public Services and the Constitutional Court,” posing a scenario of potential conflict between local jurisdiction and the regulations imposed by Washington.