ICE Detains Colombian Activist Days Before Election, Heightening Tension Between Petro and Trump

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Colombian activist Franklin Humberto “Beto” Coral Garrido, who is an undocumented immigrant and has overstayed his visa. The detention, occurring just days before Colombia's presidential runoff election, has sparked political reactions, with Colombian President Gustavo Petro labeling it as political persecution.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Coral entered the U.S. in December 2015 on a B1/B2 visa valid for six months. Federal authorities state he has remained in the United States for ten years beyond the legally permitted period. The Colombian government has activated consular assistance protocols, with its embassy in the U.S. and consulate in Los Angeles working to support Coral.

“

The Chancellery has to request his freedom because that is political persecution incentivized by the candidate of the U.S., a citizen of the U.S.

Coral, 40, originally from Medellín, has lived in the U.S. for over a decade. He is known as a political activist, columnist, and digital content creator whose social media activity often featured criticism of right-wing politics, particularly targeting presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who has explicit backing from Donald Trump. Coral is also the son of Humberto Coral, a former Colombian official involved in the 1993 operation against Pablo Escobar, a story he chronicled in his book "El día que mataron a mi padre."

President Petro publicly accused de la Espriella and Trump of orchestrating the detention, calling it "political persecution incentivized by the candidate of the U.S., a citizen of the U.S." Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio and a figure close to Trump's ideology, accused Coral of acting as a foreign agent for the Colombian government. Moreno celebrated the detention on X, suggesting Coral's prompt deportation: "You can't come to the U.S., seek asylum, and then act as a foreign agent of that same government while simultaneously undermining our foreign policy. Have a good life back in Colombia, Beto!"

“

You can't come to the U.S., seek asylum, and then act as a foreign agent of that same government while simultaneously undermining our foreign policy. Have a good life back in Colombia, Beto!