President Donald Trump suggested a notable shift in tone from Colombian President Gustavo Petro ahead of their upcoming White House meeting, while making clear that narcotics trafficking and security cooperation will dominate the agenda.
Speaking to reporters before the visit, Trump pointed to what he described as a recent change in Petro’s attitude following U.S. action in the region.
“I mean, he’s been very nice over the last month or two,” Trump said during a press availability. “They were certainly critical before that. But somehow after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice. He changed his attitude. Very much so.”
Trump said he looks forward to meeting Petro in person, but underscored that Colombia’s role in the global drug trade remains a central concern for his administration.
“He’s coming in. We’re going to be talking about drugs because tremendous amounts of drugs come out of his country,” Trump said. “And I look forward to seeing him. We’re going to have a good meeting.”
Colombia has long been one of Washington’s closest partners in South America, particularly on counternarcotics and security. That partnership deepened under Plan Colombia, launched in 2000, which paired U.S. military and law-enforcement assistance with aggressive efforts to dismantle insurgent groups and drug trafficking networks. The strategy helped stabilize Colombia, weaken Marxist guerrillas, and ultimately earned the country designation as a major Non-NATO ally of the United States.
U.S. officials and analysts, however, say that hard-won progress has eroded in recent years amid diverging priorities, rising cocaine production, and growing mistrust under Petro’s leftist government.
Melissa Ford Maldonado, director of the Western Hemisphere Initiative at the America First Policy Institute, said the Trump administration is entering the meeting focused on restoring what she described as “real cooperation” after years of drift.
“Counternarcotics and security cooperation will likely dominate the conversation,” Maldonado said, pointing to record cocaine production and what she described as growing tolerance within parts of the Colombian state for criminal networks.
She argued that Washington increasingly views Colombia as failing to meet its obligations in the fight against illegal drugs—an issue with direct consequences for U.S. border security and public safety.
Tensions between the two governments first erupted in January 2025, when Petro initially refused to allow U.S. deportation flights carrying Colombian nationals to land. Trump responded swiftly, threatening tariffs, travel bans, and visa restrictions. Colombia reversed course within days, marking the first major rupture between the two leaders following Trump’s return to office—and reinforcing Trump’s reputation for using leverage to defend U.S. interests.
Relations worsened again in September 2025, when Petro traveled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, joined protests, and publicly urged U.S. soldiers to “disobey the orders of Trump.” The remarks prompted the U.S. State Department to revoke Petro’s visa on Sept. 27, 2025. One month later, the Trump administration announced punitive measures targeting Petro and members of his inner circle, citing concerns over drug trafficking and stalled security cooperation.
Colombian officials denounced the actions as politically motivated. Trump, however, publicly labeled Petro a “drug leader,” suspended U.S. aid, and warned that additional measures were on the table—pushing relations to what observers described as their lowest point in decades.
Signs of de-escalation emerged last month when Trump and Petro spoke by phone for the first time since the breakdown. Trump later described the call as a “great honor,” praising Petro’s tone and signaling openness to renewed dialogue. Both sides agreed to reopen talks on counternarcotics, migration, and trade. Colombia subsequently resumed accepting U.S. deportation flights, clearing the way for Tuesday’s face-to-face meeting.
Maldonado said the visit underscores what is at stake for both countries.
“Colombia remains the most important U.S. partner in South America, but that status is conditional, and lately it’s been under real strain, largely because of President Gustavo Petro’s tolerance for criminal networks that threaten both Colombian sovereignty and American security,” she told Fox News Digital.
She said the Trump administration has made clear it will no longer accommodate governments that enable narco-criminal ecosystems.
“What to watch going forward is whether Colombia chooses to course-correct or continues drifting toward the model next door, which blurred the line between the state and organized crime,” Maldonado said. “Colombia earned its status as a major Non-NATO Ally through decades of sacrifice. That trust has been badly damaged, but it is not beyond repair if Colombia demonstrates genuine resolve against cartels, rejects political cover for criminal groups and realigns clearly with the United States on hemispheric security.”
She added that the message from Washington is unmistakable.
“This visit should make one thing unmistakable: the United States wants a strong, sovereign Colombia. It is in America’s best interest. However, it will not tolerate ambiguity when it comes to narco-terrorism, regional security or the safety of the American people.”
