Overview
- Colombia said Petro will receive full visiting head‑of‑state protections following the foreign minister’s Friday call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- The White House session with President Donald Trump is set for February 3 and will be their first meeting since he took office a year ago.
- Both governments agreed to prioritize combating transnational organized crime at the border, regional security issues, and joint economic opportunities.
- The rapprochement follows a year of strains that included OFAC sanctions on Petro and close associates, the loss of U.S. counternarcotics certification, and Trump’s public allegations of narcotrafficking.
- Recent preparatory steps included Colombia’s defense minister visiting Washington on January 14 and DEA leadership meeting in Bogotá with prosecutors and police, while Petro signaled optimism by saying the talks are going well.