Colombia's President Gustavo Petro Meets Trump Amid Tensions

Tue Feb 03 2026 14:24:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Colombian President Gustavo Petro makes his way to Washington for a pivotal meeting with US President Donald Trump, tensions between the two leaders have reached a boiling point. Key topics on the agenda include military actions, drug trafficking, and security in Venezuela.

Gustavo Petro is headed to D.C. for an important face-to-face meeting with Trump, marking the first direct discussion between the two amidst rising tensions. Topics like Venezuela, cocaine trafficking, and national security are expected to dominate their talks. Despite previous criticisms and hostile exchanges, both leaders aim for constructive dialogue as they navigate complex bilateral issues.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro is heading to Washington for a high-stakes trip to meet US President Donald Trump, the first in-person meeting between the two after months of escalating tensions and angry rhetoric.

Venezuela, drug trafficking, oil, security, and US strikes on alleged drug vessels will be high on the agenda when they meet at the White House on Tuesday.

While the two men were cordial in a phone call after the 3 January US military operation to seize Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, Petro has since said he believes that there is a real threat of military action against Colombia.

Trump has previously indicated that a military operation in Colombia sounds good.

Tuesday's meeting follows months of the two leaders trading barbs - with Petro repeatedly criticizing the repeat US strikes on alleged drugs boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, as well as the White House's immigration policies.

In an interview with the BBC last month, Petro likened US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Nazi brigades and accused the US of treating other countries as part of its empire.

On the US side, Trump has accused Petro's government of not doing enough to stop the flow of cocaine heading north and has vowed to expand strikes to land targets across the region.

However, the acrimony appeared to ease following a cordial phone call between the two leaders, which a Colombian official described as an 180-degree turn from both sides.

According to diplomatic sources, US Senator Rand Paul was instrumental in setting up the conversation. I believe in diplomacy and I thought our relations were going in the wrong way, the senator stated.

Petro's administration noted that the focus of discussions will revolve around shared US and Colombian concerns about security in Venezuela, home to 30,000 Colombian soldiers aimed at preventing the influence of the ELN guerrilla group along their common border.

The meeting promises an opportunity for both leaders to address pressing issues while trying to stabilize their countries' complex relationship.