The president of the United States, Donald Trump, assured this Monday that he perceives a significant change in the position of his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, in the run-up to the expected bilateral meeting that will take place this Tuesday at the White House. The meeting occurs at a time of diplomatic readjustment after months of tensions between both governments over issues of security, drug trafficking and regional politics.

During a speech in the Oval Office, Trump stated that Petro has shown a more positive attitude recently, after a period of public criticism between the leaders. “(Petro) has been very nice over the last month or two. Before he was critical, but somehow, after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice. He changed his attitude a lot, so now I’m looking forward to seeing him,” Trump said, referring to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and its impact on regional relations.

The US president also indicated that one of the central topics of the conversation will be the fight against drug trafficking, stating that “enormous quantities of drugs leave his country”, alluding to Colombia. Trump concluded his brief statement with a message of optimism: “We will have a good meeting.”

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A meeting conditioned by previous tensions

This meeting comes after a period of friction in the bilateral relationship. In recent months, Washington made decisions that highlighted the complexity of the relationship, including the withdrawal of Colombia from the list of countries that fully cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking and the revocation of Petro’s visa, amid cross accusations between the two governments. Furthermore, the US Treasury Department included the Colombian president and people close to him on the so-called Clinton list, which has been a source of additional tension between the two capitals.

In this scenario, the meeting seeks to reestablish direct communication channels and review strategic issues such as security cooperation, the fight against drug trafficking and other points of common interest for both countries.

A dialogue observed by the region

Petro’s trip to Washington comes against a changing regional backdrop, with recent political impacts that have altered the diplomatic landscape in Latin America. The meeting between both countries is closely watched, since its outcome could influence bilateral cooperation on key issues such as security, the fight against drug trafficking and economic relations.