U.S. ambitions in Latin America cast a shadow over the White House summit.
By Alexandra Sharp, the World Brief writer at Foreign Policy.
In a test of competing ideologies, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday. Tensions were high ahead of the closed-door meeting—already a rarity in Trump’s TV presidency—as experts wondered whether the two leaders would be able to stabilize their volatile relationship or revert back to months of diplomatic fighting.
Little information has emerged from the summit, with Petro expected to make a public announcement at 4 p.m. local time and Trump surprisingly silent on Truth Social.
In a test of competing ideologies, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday. Tensions were high ahead of the closed-door meeting—already a rarity in Trump’s TV presidency—as experts wondered whether the two leaders would be able to stabilize their volatile relationship or revert back to months of diplomatic fighting.
Little information has emerged from the summit, with Petro expected to make a public announcement at 4 p.m. local time and Trump surprisingly silent on Truth Social.
According to one Colombian advisor, though, Petro was cautioned to avoid topics that could lead to a diplomatic blowup. Instead, Colombian officials reportedly planned to use Tuesday’s meeting to deliver a detailed presentation on their anti-drug achievements in a bid to appease the White House; Colombia is the world’s top producer of coca, the main ingredient in cocaine.
Petro is a leftist former guerrilla and a frequent, vocal critic of the Trump administration, especially Trump’s efforts to establish U.S. dominance in Latin America. Growing hostility appeared to come to a head in December, when Trump warned Petro that “he better wise up, or he’ll be next,” appearing to allude to U.S. actions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. But just a few days later, a private phone call between the two leaders seemed to calm things down somewhat, with Trump later telling reporters that “somehow, after the Venezuelan raid, [Petro] became very nice.”
It is unclear just how “nice” Petro was during Tuesday’s meeting, but initial statements appear optimistic. Petro posted a photo of himself and Trump on X on Tuesday alongside a note signed by Trump that says, “Gustavo—a great honor. I love Colombia.”
Read more in today’s World Brief: Trump vs. Petro: A Thaw in Relations or Return to Diplomatic War?
This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration. Follow along here.
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