The President of the United States, Donald Trump, confirmed on Tuesday that he spoke with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, about new joint measures to combat drug trafficking during their meeting at the White House.
In response to a media question about the meeting, Trump stated that there were concrete advancements in anti-narcotics efforts and hinted that other actions, including sanctions, are being considered.
"Yes, we did. We worked on that and we get along very well... We are also working on other things, including sanctions," said the leader.
The president expanded shortly after his comment, stating: “We are working on that. We are also working in other areas, including sanctions. And we had a very good meeting.”
Trump's statements come after a meeting lasting over two hours with Petro, during which, according to the Colombian president, key issues were discussed such as the economic reactivation of Venezuela and a proposal to transform Catatumbo, one of the areas most affected by drug trafficking on the Colombian-Venezuelan border.
In an exclusive interview with Caracol Radio, Petro explained that he proposed to Trump to coordinate actions in intelligence, police, and armed forces with the government of Venezuela to replace illicit crops with agricultural and industrial production.
The Colombian president stated that his initiative aims to "defeat the enemies of change," referring to the criminal structures that, he said, have murdered more than 200 farmers during his tenure.
Petro also noted that Trump understood and valued the proposal, particularly for its component of regional cooperation and economic support for Venezuela through Colombia.
It also revealed that there is a possibility of a joint operation between the armies of Colombia and Venezuela to capture leaders of the ELN who are taking refuge in Venezuelan territory.
Regarding his Total Peace policy, Petro rejected the claim that drug trafficking has increased during his mandate. He stated that coca leaf cultivation rose significantly in 2021, before he took office, but that it began to decline starting in 2025.
The leader reiterated his opposition to forced eradications and advocated for a strategy based on voluntary eradication, led by rural communities. As he explained, this approach aims to reclaim the territory without violence or corruption.
Trump, for his part, did not provide details on the scope of anti-narcotics cooperation with Colombia, but he described the conversation with Petro as "a very good meeting," which sets a positive tone for relations between the two governments.
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