In a stunning diplomatic pivot that has redefined U.S.-Latin American relations, President Donald J. Trump hosted Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The meeting, which defied months of mutual hostility, focused on migration, the Venezuelan border crisis, and a new collaborative approach to dismantling drug trafficking networks.
From “Sick Man” to “Terrific”
The cordial tone of the summit stood in sharp contrast to the insults traded between the two leaders over the past year. Trump, who had previously labeled Petro a “sick man” and threatened to give him the “Maduro treatment”—referencing the January 3 U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro—appeared charmed by his former adversary.
“Somehow, after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice,” Trump remarked to reporters, signaling that his display of military force in Caracas had successfully recalibrated Bogota’s attitude. “He and I weren’t exactly the best of friends, but I wasn’t insulted because I never met him. I didn’t know him at all, and we got along very well. I thought he was terrific.”
“Make Americas Great Again”
The highlight of the meeting was an unexpected cultural exchange involving Trump’s signature red hat. President Trump gifted Petro a “Make America Great Again” cap, which the Colombian leader accepted with a twist. In a move symbolizing Pan-American unity, Petro promptly took a marker and added an “S” to the slogan, changing it to “Make Americas Great Again”—a reference to the inclusion of South and Central America in the vision for prosperity.
Petro was later photographed leaving the West Wing wearing the modified hat, a visual metaphor for the pragmatic détente reached between the populist right-wing U.S. leader and the leftist Colombian president.
Gifts and “Capos”
The exchange of gifts extended beyond the hat. Petro presented Trump with a gold-plated replica of the Ecopetrol iguana with an emerald eye, while Trump handed Petro a signed photograph of the two leaders with the handwritten inscription: “Gustavo: A great honor. I love Colombia.”
Substantively, the leaders reportedly agreed to target drug “capos” residing in safe havens like Dubai and Miami rather than just focusing on coca farmers. Petro stated he provided Trump with a list of these high-value targets, marking a shift toward intelligence-driven counternarcotics cooperation.
