By Fernando Galindo, EL ESPECTADOR, January 16, 2026
(Translated by Eunice Gibson, CSN Volunteer Translator)
Colombia’s Ambassador to the United States, Daniel García-Peña, has revealed to the media that President Petro’s call to his counterpart Donald Trump, which took place in the afternoon of January 7, was the result of a long process that lasted more than four months. It was undertaken after Petro’s address to the U. N. General Assembly on September 23, 2025. The main effect of that was that the United States delegation walked out of the session because of Petro’s accusations of President Trump. Afterwards, outside the auditorium, out in the street, he delivered a speech urging the U.S. Army to rebel against President Trump because of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. In that last episode, the cameras showed Ambassador García-Peña prudently distanced from the scene where Petro was speaking.
The Ambassador has explained that, along with his team, he has tried to open every possible channel for the re-establishment of a harmonious relationship with the U. S. government. “I’ve met with 32 Senators and 74 Members of the House of Representatives, and the one of those who was really key, was Senator Rand Paul, the Republican from Kentucky.” It’s well-known that Senator Paul has criticized President Trump’s decisions to authorize operations in the Caribbean and the Venezuelan coast, and also the ten attacks on launches. In his recent meeting with Senator Paul, he suggested a direct communication between the two Presidents. He added that Paul answered, “How is it possible that Trump talks with everybody and he doesn’t talk with Petro? I’m going to see if I can talk to Trump. He sometimes picks up my call, sometimes not, but I’ll insist.”
Senator Paul reached García-Peña on the morning of January 7 to confirm that President Trump had agreed to a dialog with Petro, and he gave him the name of one of Trump’s aides in order to agree on the agenda of each. García-Peña let Petro know that the call would take place at 5:00 p.m. Technical personnel from the U. S. Embassy in Bogotá went to the Presidential Palace, along with an experienced bilingual translator.
Accordingly, the call was from Petro to Trump. At the agreed-upon time, Trump was in an interview, and he received a handwritten note: “Colombian President Gustavo Petro is calling for you.” Trump interrupted the interview. Vice President J. D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio remained in the Oval Office and accompanied President Trump in defining United States foreign policy in Latin America. The conversation lasted about an hour.
García-Peña argues that Ambassadors ought to give credit to their preparation and discretion in representing the countries that designated them. The son of a diplomat, he obtained degrees in history and political science from Belmont College in North Carolina and has served as a professor at the National University. Petro appointed him as Ambassador on May 21, 2024, one of his wisest appointments.
The call confirmed that direct communication between the two Presidents would have avoided the confrontation, the actions, and the threats that took place in recent months. Petro presented official statistics showing the seizure of 2,800 tons of cocaine during his administration. Trump wanted to know where those statistics came from. Petro answered that they are based on activities by Colombia’s National Police, the Colombian Army, and cooperation with U. S. agencies. He documented the fight against the subversive groups, the FARC Dissidents, the ELN, and others that establish corridors in the municipalities that have been subjected to those groups. The corridors are used for drug trafficking. He called attention to the sacrifice of lives by the Armed Forces, the Police, and civilians that this battle has cost.
Trump responded that he had not been informed about these efforts by the Colombian government. García-Peña commented that “Trump was very impressed by Petro’s testimony about the battles that had been fought in the war on drugs.” Trump noted on his Truth account that, “It has been an honor to converse with President Petro. I thanked him for his call and his tone, and I hope to meet with him soon.” In fact, Trump noted that the meeting with President Petro would be in the first week of February, in the White House, and would be coordinated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Rosa Villavicencio.
The turnaround in Trump’s respect for Petro demonstrates his disposition to change his mind without a reason because of the misinformation that political forces opposed to Petro were able to come up with. Petro, at the same time, must try to amend his haste to disparage the Republican President, ever since the presidential campaign that culminated in the triumph of Donald Trump. Moreover, his unfortunate interference by his oration on the street during the recent U. N. General Assembly meeting deserves a satisfactory rectification to smooth the binational relationship definitively.
Petro said that he could collaborate with the Trump administration in the current stages anticipated for Venezuela. Benedetti, the Interior Minister, was Colombia’s Ambassador to Venezuela during the dictator Maduro’s term, and he knows the Vice President now assigned to Presidential functions, Delcy Rodríguez. Petro invited her to Colombia before his scheduled trip to the White House. The visit by Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, will be extremely important for President Petro’s meeting with President Trump on the issues of the war on drugs, defense of the border with Venezuela, and military and police actions against the criminal groups that have control over several regions in Colombia.