The U.S. denied entry to Puerto Rico to former Barcelona mayor and left-wing Frente Amplio presidential candidate Ada Colau, who had planned to attend the Ciudades Valientes municipalist gathering in Caguas on November 3 and 4, a decision sources close to her attribute to ideological reasons and her pro-Palestine activism.
Colau’s delegation was cleared through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) required due to the island’s colonial status, but her own application was denied. She was then advised to attend a personal interview at the embassy in Madrid. During that meeting two weeks ago, diplomatic staff focused their questions on her position on the conflict, with sources close to her saying the entire interview dealt with the Flotilla and her pro-Palestinian activism, with repeated insistence on the three days she was detained in Israel.
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After the interview, U.S. authorities issued a definitive denial, citing suspicion that she wants to illegally migrate to the country.
Colau rejected the measure and denounced it as evident political censorship, pointing out that while Javier Milei can travel freely to Spain to insult the press and the public, Donald Trump prohibits her from entering Puerto Rico, which she described as a colony occupied by the United States. She made the statement in response to the ban.
Es inaceptable e injustificado negarle la visa para Puerto Rico a @AdaColau por ser pacifista y defensora de derechos humanos. El @DeptEstadoPR deberia intervenir al igual que el Comisionado Residente @RepPabloJose exigir una investigación (congressional inquiry) sobre este…
— Eva Prados (@evapradospr) October 21, 2026
The former mayor, who governed Barcelona between 2015 and 2023, visited the Caribbean archipelago in April 2024 to address urban planning, access to housing, human rights and the role of women in politics.
Puerto Rico has remained under U.S. dominion since 1898 after the Treaty of Paris, and although since 1952 it has held the status of Free Associated State with its own constitution, the United States maintains exclusive control over immigration, customs, defense and currency.
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