Sometimes diplomacy looks like progress, and sometimes it just looks like both sides getting tired of yelling. President Donald Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, which counts as news mainly because a few months ago Trump was publicly musing about military strikes on Colombia and calling it a "sick man."
From Fighting Words to Phone Calls
Trump took to Truth Social after the call to say he "appreciated [Petro's] call and tone," adding that the two leaders are planning to meet at the White House. According to Trump, Petro rang "to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had." Which is diplomatic speak for: let's talk about why you think we're failing on cocaine and why we think you're failing on cocaine.
Colombia's embassy in Washington issued a statement saying Bogotá "welcomes the constructive tone of the exchange" and "remains committed to open dialogue." Everyone, it seems, is committed to sounding reasonable now.
Petro wrote on X that he and Trump discussed their differences over "his vision of the relationship between the United States and Latin America." Petro's pitch: the United States should partner with the region on energy through major investments, not just treat Latin America as an oil extraction zone. His post included an illustration of a jaguar embracing a bald eagle, imagery he's deployed before while warning that U.S. strikes on Colombia would "awaken the jaguar." So we're still doing metaphors, just gentler ones.
The Drug Problem That Won't Go Away
The core issue driving all this tension is cocaine, specifically the staggering amount coming out of Colombia. A UN report last year found that coca cultivation in Colombia hit a two-decade high in 2023, with potential cocaine production jumping 53% from the year before. Those numbers are hard to spin.
In October, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Petro and members of his family. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent didn't mince words, saying the Colombian leader "has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity."
Petro has pushed back hard, arguing his government has overseen record cocaine seizures and that blaming producers ignores the real driver: global demand. He's also been a vocal critic of U.S. military operations in the region, including strikes on suspected drug boats, which he frames as violations of sovereignty.
Venezuela Raid Adds Fresh Complications
Things got even messier over the weekend when U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid that Trump celebrated as a major anti-drug win. Petro condemned the operation as an "aggression" against Latin American sovereignty, underscoring just how differently Washington and Bogotá view American power projection in the region.
So where does this phone call leave things? Probably somewhere between actual diplomacy and a temporary ceasefire. Both leaders are talking about partnership and dialogue, which is better than talking about military action. But the underlying disputes over drug policy, sovereignty, and U.S. influence in Latin America aren't going anywhere. A White House meeting might help, or it might just move the argument indoors.