President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro held a nearly two-hour meeting Tuesday at the White House, marking a shift in relations following weeks of public tensions over drug trafficking allegations and regional policy disagreements.
After the meeting, both leaders described the interaction as positive. “We had a very good meeting,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I thought he was terrific.”
Petro, speaking at a separate news conference, said the two leaders shared a “positive and optimistic view,” and emphasized a shared value of freedom. He also said Trump gave him a “Make America Great Again” cap, to which Petro jokingly suggested adding an “s” for “Make the Americas Great Again,” referencing hemispheric unity.
The meeting followed a period of strained relations. In prior statements, Trump accused Petro of contributing to the flow of cocaine into the United States and threatened military action. Petro, in turn, condemned U.S. operations against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and criticized Trump’s stance on the conflict in Gaza.
Despite these tensions, the leaders discussed shared goals, including expanding energy cooperation and counter-narcotics efforts.
Petro acknowledged the challenges of curbing drug production in remote Colombian regions where legal economic alternatives are limited, saying, “If people have no options to eat… what there will be is drug trafficking.”
He told Trump the U.S. should target high-level traffickers who often reside abroad and provided names to the U.S. administration. “The top tier lives in Dubai, Madrid, Miami,” Petro said.
The Colombian president also invited Trump to visit the resort city of Cartagena and sought his help in mediating a trade dispute with Ecuador. Petro presented gifts to Trump, including an indigenous Wounaan basket, and gave a handmade gown to First Lady Melania Trump.
Trump gave Petro a signed copy of his book, “The Art of the Deal,” with the inscription, “You are great.” Petro posted the book on social media and remarked in Spanish, “What did Trump mean to say to me with this dedication? I don’t understand English very well.”
Ahead of the visit, Petro posted a video highlighting his history of opposing drug cartels and stated that several of his children live abroad due to threats related to his anti-drug efforts.
Relations between the two governments have been strained in recent months. In October, the Trump administration sanctioned Petro, his wife Veronica Alcocer, his son Nicolás Petro, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti over alleged links to the global drug trade. The U.S. Treasury issued the sanctions, which the administration temporarily waived to allow Petro’s visit.
The U.S. also designated Colombia as failing to fully cooperate in anti-drug efforts for the first time in 30 years. A recent U.S. military operation captured Maduro and his wife in connection with federal drug conspiracy charges, a move Petro condemned as a kidnapping. After Maduro’s removal, Trump warned Petro that he could be next, calling him “a sick man who likes making cocaine.”
Tensions eased following a phone call between the leaders prior to the visit, during which Trump said Petro explained the situation.
Petro was not formally greeted at the North Portico, as is customary for state visits, but entered through a side entrance.
Colombia, a key U.S. ally and the world’s largest producer of cocaine, has partnered with the U.S. for three decades on counternarcotics, security, and development programs.
