Colombia’s Petro Highlights Anti-Drug Cooperation With Trump

A little more than two months before the end of his term, Colombian President Gustavo Petro presented a positive assessment of relations with Donald Trump’s administration on one of the issues that has historically shaped the bilateral agenda: the fight against drug trafficking.

In an opinion column published in The Washington Post, the Colombian leader defended the results achieved during his administration and highlighted the joint work with Washington to confront transnational criminal organizations.

The statement comes four months after relations were normalized, following a 2025 marked by constant clashes and open disagreements with U.S. President Donald Trump.

In this context, Petro chose to focus on security cooperation and the progress made against drug trafficking networks, emphasizing that, despite ideological and political differences, Colombia and the United States have maintained effective coordination on an issue considered a priority for both countries.

Colombia’s Petro highlights anti-drug cooperation with Trump

In his article, Petro stated that his administration worked closely with U.S. authorities to strengthen regional stability and combat organized crime. The president argued that the results achieved demonstrate the importance of preserving a strong alliance between Bogota and Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and the criminal structures operating across the continent.

The president highlighted that, since the beginning of his administration, Colombian authorities have carried out joint and coordinated operations with U.S. agencies and international organizations to pursue organizations linked to drug trafficking. According to his column, these actions have significantly weakened illegal groups and reduced their operational capacity.

Petro also noted that the strategies implemented by Colombia have helped strengthen regional security, an objective he considers shared by both governments. In that context, he defended the continuation of bilateral cooperation as an indispensable tool for confronting threats that transcend national borders.

In this regard, and despite the disagreements of 2025, the Colombian president underscored the results that, according to him, support the “success” of this collaboration between the two countries.

One of the central elements of the president’s reflection was the presentation of figures that, according to him, demonstrate the progress made by his administration in security matters. On this point, Gustavo Petro stated that since 2022—when he began his term, coinciding with Joe Biden in the White House—Colombian authorities have seized nearly 3,200 tons of cocaine and destroyed around 19,000 laboratories dedicated to drug production.

He also stated that nearly 300 extraditions to the United States were approved in 2025 and that more than 17,000 arrests linked to drug trafficking were carried out during his administration. In this regard, the president of Colombia argues that he has worked in coordination with Washington to curb the flow of drugs, dismantle criminal networks, and maintain a security strategy with regional impact.

#Colombia has worked closely with @realDonaldTrump @POTUS administration to combat drug trafficking and violence, and to launch a long-lasting #TotalPeace for all. Read the opinion column that I wrote for the @washingtonpost @PostOpinions, to learn about how Colombia and the #US…

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) June 12, 2026

The relationship with Trump despite differences

Although the relationship between Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump has been marked by episodes of public confrontation and political disagreements, the Colombian president acknowledged in his column that both governments have managed to build spaces for cooperation on strategic issues.

The president admitted that differences exist on multiple international policy issues, but argued that the fight against drug trafficking has been an area where both countries have found common objectives. In that sense, he expressed satisfaction with the results achieved and said he feels proud of the progress made jointly.

Petro’s position is consistent with previous statements in which he defended the need for a regional alliance with the United States to combat drug cartels, arguing that the phenomenon directly affects both Latin America and U.S. society.

Despite acknowledging his differences with Trump, the Colombian president highlighted the efforts made to achieve understanding on issues sensitive to both countries. “Although President Trump and I may not always agree on every issue, I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in our joint effort to eradicate drug trafficking and bring peace, health, and security to our two countries,” he said.

In this regard, the South American leader traced the origin of that coordination to the meeting he held with Trump in February at the White House. “After the meeting, we left the Oval Office with a shared goal: to stop the deadly flow of drug trafficking and transnational criminal violence that plagues our two great nations,” he argued.

Finally, on this point, Petro sought to publicly thank the U.S. president for the difficult understanding they achieved after a year of disagreements and threats. “As my term as president of Colombia draws to a close, I thank President Trump for his collaboration and I am proud of the results we have achieved together,” his column in The Washington Post states.

Defense of the controversial ‘Total Peace’ policy with armed groups

In the article published by the aforementioned U.S. newspaper, Petro also included a defense of the Total Peace policy, the proposal for open dialogue with illegal armed groups aimed at expanding the peace agreement reached with the FARC in 2017.

The president of Colombia argued that his strategy combines negotiation with illegal armed groups when possible and military action when necessary, and stated that operations against the Gulf Clan, the ELN, and FARC dissident groups intensified in 2026, targeting both the main faction led by Ivan Mordisco and the faction led by Calarca.

“It is important to directly confiscate illicit products and dismantle the supply networks and revenue sources of organized crime, but it is equally important to bring those who commit these crimes to justice,” Petro wrote.

Finally, the Colombian president argued that cooperation between Colombia and the United States should continue after the end of his term on August 7. “The results we have achieved so far are only the beginning; with continued collaboration between the United States and Colombia, we can truly make the Americas great again,” he argued.

In less than two months, Gustavo Petro will leave office and, following the June 21 election, Colombia will have a new president for the 2026–2030 term, either left-wing government candidate Ivan Cepeda or far-right candidate Abelardo De la Espriella, whom Trump has offered his full support during this campaign.