Trump to meet Colombia’s Petro as tensions over drugs and deportations ease

Relations between President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have shifted sharply from open conflict to cautious engagement over the past year, setting the stage for a key White House meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Once considered a model partnership in the Western Hemisphere, U.S.-Colombia relations are now tested by deep disagreements over drug policy, security cooperation and immigration.

Speaking to reporters before the visit, President Donald Trump claimed that the tone between the two leaders had changed in recent weeks and underlined that drug trafficking would shape the talks.

“I mean, he’s been very good for the last month or two,” Trump told the press. “They were definitely critical before this. But somehow after the Venezuelan raid he became very nice. He changed his attitude. That’s right.”

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While Trump said he looked forward to meeting Petro in person, he made clear that narcotics remain a central concern. “He’s coming in. We’re going to talk about drugs because there’s a tremendous amount of drugs coming out of his country,” Trump said. “And I look forward to seeing him. We’ll have a good meeting.”

Colombia has long been one of Washington’s closest partners in South America, particularly on counternarcotics and security issues. Bilateral cooperation has expanded significantly under the Colombia Plan since 2000; Support from the U.S. military and law enforcement has played a central role in Colombia’s fight against rebel groups and drug trafficking networks. This cooperation helped stabilize the country and eventually led to the United States designating Colombia as an important non-NATO ally. U.S. officials and analysts say the foundation has been eroded in recent years by diverging priorities and growing distrust.

Tensions first erupted in January 2025 when Petro refused to allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian citizens to land. The standoff led to Trump threatening tariffs, travel bans and visa restrictions before Colombia reversed course and accepted the flights. This episode marked the first major rupture between the two leaders following Trump’s return to office.

Relations deteriorated further in September 2025, when Petro traveled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, participated in protests, and publicly called on US soldiers “not to follow Trump’s orders.” These remarks led the US State Department to revoke Petro’s visa on September 27, 2025. The following month, the Trump administration announced punitive measures targeting Petro and members of his inner circle, citing concerns about drug trafficking and security cooperation.

Colombian officials condemned the moves as politically motivated. Trump publicly called Petro a “drug kingpin,” suspended U.S. aid and threatened additional punitive measures, pushing relations to what observers describe as their lowest point in decades.

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Retired soldiers attend a rally to protest economic and social reforms pushed by the government of President Gustavo Petro and the proposal to convene a constituent assembly in Bolivar Square in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Signs of easing tensions emerged last month when the two leaders spoke by phone for the first time since the diplomatic collapse. Trump later called the call “a great honor” and said he appreciated Petro’s tone and looked forward to meeting him in person. Both sides agreed to restart dialogue on controversial issues, including the war on drugs, migration and trade. Colombia later resumed deportation flights from the United States as part of broader efforts to stabilize relations, paving the way for Tuesday’s in-person meeting.

Melissa Ford Maldonado, director of the Western Hemisphere Initiative at the America First Policy Institute, said the visit underscores how much is at stake for both countries.

“Colombia remains the most important partner of the United States in South America, but that status is conditional and has been under real pressure lately, in large part due to President Gustavo Petro’s tolerance of criminal networks that threaten both Colombian sovereignty and American security,” Maldonado told Fox News Digital. he said.

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Members of the Technical Board of Investigation (CTI) examine cocaine packages aboard a narcotics submarine seized in Buenaventura, Colombia, on March 20, 2021. -According to authorities, this package contained several packages of cocaine, was destined for the coast of Mexico, and belonged to an armed group of dissident FARC guerrillas. (LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

He said the Trump administration’s goals heading into the meeting likely focused on restoring what he called “real cooperation” on counternarcotics and security after years of drift.

Maldonado pointed out that cocaine production has been recorded and what he described as increasing tolerance towards criminal networks in some parts of the Colombian state, and said, “Counter-narcotics and security cooperation will probably guide the talks.” He argued that Washington was treating Colombia as failing to meet US expectations in the fight against illegal drugs.

People displaced by violence in towns in the Catatumbo region, where National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels clash with former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, line up to register for shelter at a stadium in Cúcuta, Colombia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Maldonado said the administration is signaling that it is no longer willing to accommodate governments it believes enable narco-criminal ecosystems.

“What needs to be watched going forward is whether Colombia will choose to correct course or continue to drift towards the neighborly model of blurring the lines between the state and organized crime,” he said. “Colombia has earned its status as an important non-NATO ally through decades of sacrifice. That trust has been greatly damaged, but it is not beyond repair if Colombia shows sincere commitment against the cartels, rejects political protection for criminal groups, and clearly re-allies with the United States on hemispheric security.”

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“This visit should make one thing clear: The United States wants a strong, sovereign Colombia. This is in America’s interest. But it will not tolerate uncertainty when it comes to narco-terrorism, regional security or the security of the American people,” Maldonado said. he said.