Enemigos reconcile over chocolate and dresses

Petro described a “confusing,” but “positive” meeting with Trump after years-long tensions

Today’s piece is by Adriaan Alselma, from our sister organization Colombia Reports.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro met with his US counterpart Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday for what he called a “positive” but sometimes “confusing” meeting.

The more than two-hour meeting appeared to have successfully ended an increasingly hostile relationship between the governments of United States and its long-time ally in South America, Colombia.

Trump and Petro have often feuded on social media. Petro’s diplomatic visa to the US was revoked after Petro criticized US policy on Gaza, and migration at the UN General Assembly in New York last year.

The US has been frustrated by record levels of cocaine production within Colombia.

Trump threatened US strikes inside Colombia earlier this year, saying that Petro “should watch his ass.”

But the meeting between the two heads of state seems to have left all hostile rhetoric behind.

Petro presented Trump with a series of gifts: a wooden jaguar carved by an indigenous artist, a dress made by a Colombian designer for first lady Melania Trump, and a handmade aboriginal basket filled with chocolate and coffee grown by small farmers from former coca growing regions.

During the meeting, Trump presented Petro with one of his signature “Make America Great Again” hats. Petro reportedly added an “S” at the end, stressing that the Americas should all grow together.

In a press conference that followed talks, Petro said that he and his US counterpart discussed a wide range of subjects and were able to establish common causes in some of them.

Trump told reported separately that “we got along very well,” and suggested that progress were made on the two countries’ disparate counternarcotics strategies that caused significant tensions since the US president took office in January of last year.

“We’re working on some other things, too, including sanctions,” said Trump whose administration cut aid to Colombia and placed Petro on a blacklist meant for drug traffickers as tensions worsened last year.

The Colombian president suggested that the US Government may consider Colombia’s participation in the recovery of Venezuela’s economy, and its energy sector in particular.

Petro additionally said that Trump may try to help soothe tensions with Ecuador that led to the sudden imposition of tariffs between the two neighbors last month.

Neither president was very forthcoming on the contents of their first face-to-face meeting. Both suggested that the meeting between the two political opposites went as well as it could.

Ahead of the meeting, negotiations had reduced the Colombian Foreign Ministry’s ambitions to defending the country’s sovereignty and dignity against an increasingly threatening Trump administration.

This appeared to have gone well as both presidents exchanged gifts and pleasantries around the highly anticipated meeting that was held behind closed doors.

Diplomatic efforts to restore the bilateral relations are expected to continue as Petro is entering the final months of his presidential term.

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