President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro began their first meeting on Tuesday, a White House encounter testing whether they can reach a lasting detente despite clashing ideologies and reputations for unpredictability.
Trump has in recent months had an up-and-down relationship with Petro, a former anti-imperialist guerrilla who was elected Colombia’s president in 2022.
In October, Trump called Petro an “illegal drug leader,” and in January, he floated the idea of military action against Petro, whom he has said is failing to control the narcotics trade.
Petro, for his part, has been harshly critical of Trump. He has said the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on alleged drug boats amount to war crimes, and he described the U.S. operation last month deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as a “kidnapping.”
In January, the two leaders held a phone call that both described positively, a surprise thaw that resulted in Petro’s invitation to Washington. Trump told reporters on Monday that Petro’s tone had changed of late, implying that he had become more acquiescent after the Maduro raid.
“We’re gonna have a good meeting,” Trump said.
