Donald Trump says he'll try to lift OFAC sanctions on Colombia's Gustavo Petro

U.S. President Donald Trump described Colombian President Gustavo Petro as a “good man” and said he would “do everything possible” to have Petro removed from the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC sanctions list. The leaders spoke by phone on July 3, 2026, reviewing progress on anti‑drug cooperation, including the eradication of about 30,000 hectares of coca crops—part of a voluntary crop‑substitution program that Colombia aims to expand to 41,000 hectares by year‑end. Petro expressed surprise that Trump was unaware he did not support election‑winner Abelardo de la Espriella and asked for U.S. help in preventing rising polarization from spilling into violence. The conversation marks a notable shift from earlier U.S. criticism that had labeled Petro a “drug leader” and imposed travel and financial restrictions.