Trump pledges to help Colombian President Petro leave US OFAC sanctions list

U.S. President Donald Trump told Colombian President Gustavo Petro he considers him “a good man” and said he will do “everything possible” to have Petro removed from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list. The remarks were made during a phone call on July 4, in which the leaders also reviewed cooperation on drug‑related issues.

Petro, whose term ends on 7 August, asked Trump to maintain U.S. support for Colombia’s voluntary illicit‑crop‑substitution program, noting the country has already eradicated about 30,000 hectares and aims for 41,000 hectares by year‑end. He also sought assistance to curb regional polarization and prevent violence fueled by societal hatred.

The conversation marks a shift from Trump’s prior criticism of Petro, when the U.S. president last week called him “not liked at all” and earlier placed him on the OFAC list in September after accusing him of leading narcotrafficking, which also resulted in the revocation of Petro’s U.S. visa.