By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump is set to host Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday, marking the first in-person meeting between two leaders whose relationship has been marked by sharp disputes over the past year.
The sit-down will also be Trump’s first meeting with a South American head of state since the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last month.
According to people familiar with the planning, the talks are expected to cover a range of issues related to Venezuela, including border security, oil and energy matters, and guarantees around the independence of Colombia’s upcoming presidential elections. Among those familiar with the discussions is Colombia’s former foreign minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo.
Trump told reporters Monday afternoon that narcotics would be a central topic of the meeting, saying “tremendous amounts of drugs come out of” Colombia.
He added that he expects the meeting to go well, noting that Petro — who is term-limited and set to leave office in August — “has been very nice over the last month or two.”
“He was certainly critical before that,” Trump said, “but somehow, after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice. He changed his attitude very much.”
Petro, a former Marxist guerrilla, has frequently clashed with Trump, openly criticizing the capture of Maduro, U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, and the deportation of Colombians from the United States.
Petro has described the seizure of Maduro as a violation of regional sovereignty and likened it to a kidnapping. In response, Trump issued a series of harsh statements, suggesting that a U.S. military operation in Colombia “sounds good” and calling Petro a “sick man” who should “watch his a–.”
Those remarks sparked anger and fear in Colombia, fueling nationwide anti-American protests in support of Petro.
Last week, Petro called on the U.S. to return Maduro to Venezuela to stand trial there, making the demand during a speech at a hospital in Colombia. A day later, he softened his tone while speaking in Panama, saying he was not defending Maduro.
Colombia’s foreign minister, Rosa Villavicencio, said Monday that the government feels “positive” heading into the meeting. Some former officials, however, have voiced concern, citing the unpredictable and combative styles of both leaders.
Lawmakers in Washington have worked behind the scenes to stabilize what has traditionally been a close U.S.-Colombia alliance. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., helped arrange a phone call between Trump and Petro in late January, according to a diplomatic source. Both leaders later described that conversation positively, and Trump soon extended an invitation to Petro to visit the White House.
The meeting follows a period of heightened tension. In October, Trump imposed sanctions on Petro, members of his family and a Cabinet official over allegations of ties to the global drug trade. Petro has strongly denied the accusations and has vowed to challenge the sanctions in U.S. court.
Those sanctions came shortly after Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio — who was born in Colombia and has emerged as an influential voice on U.S.-Colombia relations — urged Trump to take a tougher stance on Petro. Moreno presented a document featuring what appeared to be an AI-generated image of Petro and Maduro wearing orange prison jumpsuits during a White House lunch with Republican senators. After an image of a White House official holding the document appeared online, Petro recalled Colombia’s ambassador to the United States.
Moreno, who has met with Colombian officials ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, is expected to attend the discussions, according to a source familiar with the plans.
Kevin Whitaker, a former U.S. ambassador to Colombia under both Trump and Barack Obama, said a key factor in the meeting’s tone will be whether it unfolds publicly.
“Petro, certainly, but absolutely President Trump postures for the camera and sees it as an opportunity to underline his broader worldview,” Whitaker said.
No portion of the meeting is currently scheduled to be open to the press, according to the White House.
Whitaker said the outcome may hinge on whether Petro is prepared to make concessions.
“In the context of the national security strategy the Trump administration released in early December, the hemisphere is ours,” he said. “Petro would do well to understand Trump’s view in that regard.”
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