Gustavo Petro asks Trump to lift OFAC sanctions and back Colombia's crop‑substitution program

Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro told reporters he spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump, requesting the president’s help to have Petro removed from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list. Petro said Trump appeared unaware that he and his family remain on the list and pledged to “do his best” to address the request.

During the call Petro highlighted progress on Colombia’s voluntary crop‑substitution initiative, noting that the program is on track to cover about 41,000 hectares of illicit coca‑producing land by the end of the year, with funding secured through Dec. 31. He asked the United States to maintain support for the program under the incoming administration of Abelardo De La Espriella and stressed the importance of continued cooperation in the fight against narcotics.