US President Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, met for the first time at the White House on Tuesday in a meeting seen by many as a test of whether the two leaders can reach a lasting understanding despite their conflicting ideologies and reputations for unpredictability.
After the private meeting, which lasted about two hours, ended, Petro posted a picture on X that suggested the meeting was cordial.
The image contained a note apparently handwritten by Trump, which read: “Gustavo – A great honor – I love Colombia.” It also featured a photo of the two leaders shaking hands and smiling.
“Gustavo: A great honor.
Amor a Colombia”. Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/1Tl7eIbAPr— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) February 3, 2026
Other than the Colombian president's post, little information about the meeting between the two was available. No media representatives were allowed into the Oval Office to witness the meeting, and White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters shortly after the meeting that she had not discussed it with Trump.
A photo released by the White House showed the two leaders sitting together in the Oval Office, with Trump wearing a serious, if not impenetrable, expression. Vice President JD Vance was also in attendance.
Trump, who has expressed his desire for the US to dominate all of Latin America, has had an up-and-down relationship in recent months with Petro, a former anti-imperialist guerrilla fighter who was elected president of Colombia in 2022.
Mutual criticism
In October, Trump labeled Petro the “leader of the illegal drug trade,” although he provided no evidence, and in January proposed military action against the Colombian leader, whom he accused of failing to control the narcotics trade.
Petro criticized Trump harshly. He said the Trump administration's deadly attacks on suspected drug boats constituted war crimes and described last month's US operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as a “kidnapping”.
In January, the two leaders had a telephone conversation that they both described in positive terms, a surprising thaw that led to Petro being invited to Washington. Trump told reporters on Monday that Petro's tone had changed recently, suggesting he had become more conciliatory after the raid against Maduro.
High-stakes meeting
At Tuesday's meeting, Colombian officials planned to detail major anti-drug achievements, including figures on cocaine seizures, three sources familiar with the matter said.
In another photo released by the White House on Tuesday, an aide to Petro could be seen holding a pamphlet that read: “COLUMBIA: America's Ally Against Narco-Terrorists.”
Will Freeman, a fellow in Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said before the meeting that it could go smoothly if Petro limited himself to discussing the fight against drug trafficking instead of addressing broader philosophical disagreements.
Both leaders are known for their unpredictable behavior, elliptical speeches and quick changes of opinion.
If they fail to reach a more lasting rapprochement, it could have profound implications for regional security, analysts say.
Colombia is the world's largest producer of coca, the main ingredient in cocaine, and several organizations designated by the US as terrorists are present in this country.
But Colombia has also been one of Washington's staunchest allies in the region, working closely with successive administrations to suppress drug flows to the north.
Under Petro's leadership, coca production in Colombia increased, although the exact figures are disputed. Bogota says that while the government has abandoned forced destruction — a policy that can hurt farmers who make a living from agriculture — it has stepped up confiscations and more sophisticated interdiction efforts.
Last week, Petro urged Colombian migrants to return from Chile, Argentina and the United States to avoid being treated as “slaves.” He also said that it is better to live in Havana than in Miami, which he described as crowded and lacking in culture.
Before leaving for Washington, Petro adopted a more upbeat, if pompous, tone.
“I think we should be full of optimism,” he told public broadcaster RTVC.
After a year of insults and threats, the president of Colombia goes to the White House for a key meeting with Trump. “He's been very kind the last month”
