BOGOTA/WASHINGTON-- Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday that he and US President Donald Trump had agreed to jointly combat drug trafficking, while acknowledging differences in certain security approaches.
Petro met with Trump at the White House on Tuesday and told local radio that he was surprised by Trump's misinformation regarding Colombia's security situation and drug trafficking.
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On the situation in Venezuela, Petro said that Colombia has offered support for the transition the country is going through.
"Venezuela deserves the future. The past will be evaluated, but the present and the future are fundamental," Petro said.
"We had a very good meeting," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "I thought he (Petro) was terrific."
Petro said at a news conference at the Colombian Embassy in Washington that the two leaders discussed cooperation on counternarcotics efforts and ways to support economic and energy projects related to Venezuela.
The meeting ended with "a positive and optimistic view," said Petro.
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The Colombian president added that he had invited Trump to visit the Caribbean city of Cartagena and requested US assistance in mediating a trade dispute between Colombia and Ecuador, according to reports.
The meeting came after months of strained ties marked by heated exchanges. Trump had publicly accused Petro of failing to control drug trafficking and warned of punitive actions, including higher tariffs and reduced US aid.
Petro has accused the United States of using its anti-drug policy as a pretext to justify the use of force in the Caribbean region. His US visa was revoked in September 2025 after he participated in a pro-Palestinian rally in New York and urged US soldiers to disobey Trump's orders.
While the talks suggested a tentative thaw in personal relations between the two leaders, deep disagreements over security, drug policy and regional military actions remain unresolved, analysts said.
