In an environment marked by diplomatic distance and the absence of the military honors that usually accompany heads of state, the first meeting between the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, took place this Tuesday, February 3.
President Petro entered the presidential complex at 10:55 in the morning through a side door adjacent to the Eisenhower Building, avoiding the emblematic North Portico, and without the presence of an honor guard to receive him.
Although access to the press was restricted, it was learned that the central focus of the meeting was anti-drug policy. While Trump questions the increase in cocaine production, Petro defends his crop substitution model.
Hours before sitting down at the table, the Colombian Government sent a strong message of cooperation with the extradition of alias ‘Pipe Tuluá’ to Texas.
This meeting occurs at the end of Petro’s mandate, a few months before the presidential elections in May. The fact that the Colombian president needed a special visa to enter the US due to current sanctions adds a layer of complexity to a meeting that Trump previously called an opportunity to see a “change in attitude.”
#AtThisTime the meeting takes place between the Head of State @PetroGustavo and President Donald Trump, accompanied by the delegations of Colombia and the United States.
Oval Office
: Government of Colombia pic.twitter.com/IyKpFwAlSG— Colombian Presidency (@infopresidencia) February 3, 2026
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