U.S. blocks Ada Colau from entering Puerto Rico, citing political motives

The U.S. government refused to grant an ESTA entry permit to Ada Colau, former mayor of Barcelona and Frente Amplio parliamentary candidate, preventing her from traveling to Puerto Rico. While her team secured the required travel authorizations, Colau's application was the sole denial, halting her participation in a municipalism conference hosted by the Liga de Ciudades de Puerto Rico. The event was to feature a discussion with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, who later sent a staff member in his place.

During a follow-up meeting at the U.S. embassy in Spain, officials asked Colau about any criminal record, prior detentions, and specifically whether she had been to Israel, referencing her involvement in the Global Sumud flotilla that was seized by Israeli forces and led to a four-day detention. The embassy returned her passport with a definitive refusal, officially stating concerns over a perceived intention to immigrate.

Colau denounced the action as an arbitrary, authoritarian move by the Trump administration, adding that it underscores U.S. colonial control over Puerto Rico. The case follows other recent travel bans imposed by the same administration on foreign officials such as Cristina Fernández, Thierry Breton, and Mahmud Abás.