It is difficult to imagine a more algorithm-confusing pair of dinner guests than **Gustavo Petro** and **Donald Trump**. Yet, here we are. On February 3, the **White House** will host a meeting that feels less like serious diplomacy and more like a poorly written television drama. We have the President of Colombia, a former guerrilla fighter who built his career criticizing the heavy hand of American power. And we have the American President, a real estate mogul who built his career on gold branding and shouting at people until they go away.

From a distance, here in Europe, looking at this **Trump-Petro summit** is exhausting. It is the kind of political theater that makes you want to turn off the news and stare at a blank wall. But we cannot look away, because the absurdity is the point. The relationship between these two men has been, to put it mildly, a mess. Not long ago, they were trading insults like school children on a playground. Trump has thrown threats at Petro’s administration. Petro has called out **Trump’s foreign policy** as dangerous and cruel. It was the standard script for two men who stand on opposite sides of every single issue.

Now, the script has been flipped. The shouting match has turned into a polite meeting. Why? Because in the world of politics, principles are just things you sell when you need something. The tension has supposedly "eased," according to the official reports. This is code for "they both realized they need something from the other, so they will pretend to be friends for an hour." It is cynical, it is fake, and it is exactly how **US-Colombia relations** work.

Let’s break down why this is happening. It isn't because they suddenly respect each other. Trump likely views Petro as a nuisance from the south, a reminder of the "socialism" he loves to scream about at his rallies. Petro likely views Trump as the embodiment of everything wrong with capitalism and the West. But reality has a way of ruining ideological purity. The United States is terrified of **migration and drug trafficking**. Colombia is the source of much of the cocaine entering the U.S. and a major pathway for migrants heading north. Trump cannot build a wall high enough to stop basic economics, so he has to talk to the man in charge of the source.

On the other side, Petro knows he cannot survive if the United States decides to crush his economy. He might talk a big game about independence and standing up to the big bad empire, but at the end of the day, money talks. If the U.S. decides to sanction Colombia or cut off aid, Petro’s grand plans for social change crumble into dust. So, the rebel puts on a suit and flies to Washington to shake the hand of the man he despises. It is a survival tactic, plain and simple.

This meeting on February 3 is being billed as a moment where "anything could happen." That is the media trying to make you excited to boost their click-through rates. Do not fall for it. "Anything could happen" is just a nice way of saying that both of these men are volatile and prone to saying stupid things. Maybe Trump will insult Petro to his face. Maybe Petro will lecture Trump on climate change. Maybe they will sit there in awkward silence while the cameras click. Whatever happens, it will be treated as major news, analyzed by experts who pretend this is deep strategy rather than two egos colliding in a room.

### References & Fact-Check * **Primary Source**: [Colombia’s President, an Outspoken Trump Critic, Heads to the White House](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/world/americas/colombia-petro-trump-white-house.html) (New York Times, Feb 02, 2026) * **Context**: The meeting addresses critical tensions regarding **US-Colombia migration policy** and potential economic sanctions affecting the region.