Overview
- Colombian president Gustavo Petro called President Trump on Friday to ask for U.S. support to remove him, members of his family, and at least one senior official from the Treasury Department's OFAC sanctions list.
- Trump described Petro as "a good man" during the call and told him he would "do his best" to help, marking a softer tone after recent public criticisms and an earlier U.S. endorsement of Petro’s opponent.
- Any change to Petro's designation must be completed through a formal review and action by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Office of Foreign Assets Control, not by a presidential statement alone.
- The leaders also reviewed Colombia's voluntary coca eradication program and Petro asked for continued U.S. funding and coordination with incoming president Abelardo de la Espriella as Bogotá seeks to meet eradication and crop‑substitution targets.
- The sanctions, imposed in late 2025 and including Petro's wife Verónica Alcocer and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, have strained ties and limited visas and financial links, so a U.S. shift could affect bilateral drug cooperation and transition‑period stability.