Donald Trump is predicted to fulfill Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday after a 12 months of exchanging insults and threats over the US president’s aggressive overseas insurance policies in Latin America, and Bogota’s battle on medication.
Petro’s go to to the White Home in Washington, DC, on February 3 comes only one month after the US abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in a lightning armed assault on Caracas.
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The Colombian chief will seemingly be searching for to deal with diplomatic tensions with the US, which have been in disarray since Trump started his second time period final 12 months.
The 65-year-old left-wing Petro has been a vocal critic of Trump’s overseas insurance policies and up to date navy operations within the Caribbean Sea in addition to of Israel’s battle on Gaza – a thorny matter for the US president.
Final month, tempers rose once more when Trump threatened to focus on Colombia militarily for allegedly flooding the US with unlawful medication.
Have relations between the 2 at all times been frosty?
No. After Colombia gained independence from Spain in 1819, the US was one of many first nations to recognise Colombia’s independence in 1822. It established a diplomatic mission there in 1823.
A 12 months later, the 2 nations signed a string of treaties specializing in peace, navigation and commerce, according to US authorities archives.
Since then, the 2 nations have continued to cooperate on safety and financial issues. However these efforts have been interrupted at instances, resembling throughout the Chilly Struggle, by geopolitics and in relation to Colombia’s battle on the drug commerce.
Here’s a timeline of key points and occasions.
Enterprise pursuits threatened
In 1928, US companies have been working in Colombia. However their pursuits have been threatened when Colombian workers of America’s United Fruit Firm protested, demanding higher working circumstances. Political events in Colombia had additionally begun questioning Washington’s increasing function in Latin America following these protests.
In keeping with the Council on International Relations (CFR), this was additionally the interval of the “Banana Wars” when Washington was busy toppling regimes in South America to shore up its enterprise pursuits within the area.
A string of US navy interventions passed off from 1898 to 1934 as Washington sought to develop its financial pursuits within the area till President Franklin D Roosevelt launched the “Good Neighbor Coverage”, pledging to not invade or occupy Latin American nations or intrude of their inside affairs.
Emergence of FARC
Safety relations between the US and Colombia deepened throughout the second world battle. In 1943, Colombia supplied its territory for US air and naval bases whereas Washington offered coaching for Colombian troopers.
In keeping with the CFR, the US boosted navy help for Colombia throughout its lethal battle with armed insurgent teams, which lasted from 1948 till the mid-Nineteen Fifties and killed greater than 200,000 folks. Throughout this battle, many unbiased armed teams emerged within the countryside, and the US carried out a method often called Plan Lazo to enhance civilian defence networks.
In response, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was shaped by insurgent leaders and engaged in widespread violence and kidnappings, in keeping with the CFR.
FARC claimed to be impressed by communist values and, within the late Nineteen Forties, managed about 40 p.c of the nation, in keeping with the CFR. Washington labelled it as a “terrorist” organisation and targeted efforts in the direction of destabilising the group.
FARC finally signed a peace settlement with the Colombian authorities in 2016. In 2021, the group was delisted from Washington’s overseas terrorist organisations’ checklist.
Struggle on medication
As FARC was rising in Colombia, the drug commerce was additionally gathering momentum. Teams such because the Medellin Cartel and Cali Cartel emerged within the nation, and trafficked marijuana and cocaine to the US frequently.
Confronted with a rising variety of drug-related deaths, the US authorities spent greater than $10bn on counter-narcotics and safety efforts to help Colombia’s authorities between 1999 and 2018, in keeping with a US Authorities Accountability Workplace report.
Former US presidents, together with Invoice Clinton and George W Bush, additionally launched counter-narcotic initiatives to disrupt drug trafficking, destroy coca crops, and help different livelihoods for coca farmers, in a bid to quash the cartels.
Trump’s first time period as president, starting in 2017, was marked by renewed counter-narcotic initiatives however he additionally threatened to decertify Colombia as a cooperative nation if it didn’t take motion towards its drug cartels.
Tensions between the US and Colombia calmed below former US President Joe Biden, who targeted on enhancing diplomatic ties by designating Colombia as a serious non-NATO ally in 2022.
At present, cartels operate in a decentralised method and a few have additionally been designated as terrorist organisations by the US. In December 2025, the Trump administration designated the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest unlawful arms group, which can be concerned in drug trafficking, as a terrorist organisation.
Trump’s second time period
In 2022, Petro was elected as Colombia’s first left-wing president and took up workplace within the presidential palace with guarantees to steer Colombia in a extra equitable, eco-friendly route.
However tensions with the US flared once more when Trump arrived within the White Home for his second time period in January 2025.
Since then, Petro has been a vocal critic of Trump’s insurance policies, notably these referring to Latin America.
Final 12 months, the Trump administration started a collection of navy strikes on Venezuelan boats, which it alleged have been carrying medication, within the Caribbean and japanese Pacific. The Trump administration has struck dozens of boats, however has not offered any proof that any have been trafficking medication. Petro known as the aggression an “act of tyranny”.
Addressing the United Nations Common Meeting in September 2025, Petro stated that “felony proceedings have to be opened towards these officers, who’re from the US, even when it consists of the highest-ranking official who gave the order: President Trump”, in relation to the boat strikes.
On the UNGA, Petro additionally criticised US ally Israel’s battle on Gaza and known as on US troops to “disobey Trump’s orders” and “obey the order of humanity”.
Washington revoked Petro’s US visa after he spoke at a pro-Palestine march outdoors the UNGA in New York.
Weeks later, the Trump administration additionally imposed sanctions on the Colombian president, who is ready to depart workplace following a presidential election in Might.
In a publish on his Reality Social platform in October, Trump stated Petro “does nothing” to cease the drug manufacturing [in his country], and so the US would not supply “cost or subsidies” to Colombia.
Shortly after finishing up the kidnapping of Venezuela’s Maduro, Trump instructed reporters on board Air Drive One which each Venezuela and Colombia have been “very sick” and that the federal government in Bogota was run by “a sick man who likes making cocaine and promoting it to the US”. “And he’s not going to be doing it very lengthy. Let me let you know,” Trump added.
When requested if he meant a US operation would happen towards Colombia, Trump stated, “Sounds good to me.”
In response, Petro promised to defend his nation, saying that he would “take up arms” for his homeland.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on January 9, nonetheless, Petro stated his authorities is searching for to take care of cooperation on combating narcotics with Washington, hanging a softer tone following days of escalating rhetoric.
