BOGOTA (Realist English). One month before the end of his term, Colombian President Gustavo Petro held a telephone conversation with Donald Trump, during which he asked the US leader to help remove him from the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list.
In response, according to the Colombian side, Trump promised to “do everything possible” to fulfil the request and called Petro a “good man.”
OFAC Sanctions and the ‘Clinton List’
In October 2025, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed Petro, his wife Verónica Alcocer, his eldest son Nicolás Petro Burgos and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti on the sanctions list for alleged involvement in the global drug trade. Washington claimed that the “total peace” policy pursued by the leftist president had “favoured” drug cartels and armed groups.
OFAC sanctions, also known as the “Clinton List,” block access to the US financial system for all individuals and entities included. Petro consistently denied the accusations throughout his term and called them politically motivated. According to him, his government “confiscated more cocaine than in the entire history of the world.”
Phone Call: ‘He Didn’t Know I Was Still on the List’
The conversation took place on the morning of July 3. According to an official communiqué from the Colombian president, Petro “politely asked President Trump to support his removal from the OFAC list.” In response, it is claimed, Trump said he would “do everything possible to achieve this goal.”
Petro himself said on X that he was surprised Trump “did not know that I and my family are still on the OFAC list,” and that the US president “promised to act on this matter.” He also noted that Trump called him a “good man” and expressed hope for continued communication.
Report on Achievements and a Plea for Peace
During the conversation, Petro reported on the results of the programme for the voluntary substitution of illegal coca crops. According to his administration, about 30,000 hectares have been eradicated under the programme, and the target is to reach 41,000 hectares by the end of the year.
Petro also asked Trump to maintain funding for this programme, which is only scheduled until December 2026, for the next administration.
In addition, the Colombian leader asked Trump to “help prevent the hatred that has emerged in part of Colombian society from turning into blood and violence.” This move reflects Petro’s concerns about political polarisation in the country amid the upcoming transfer of power to his staunch opponent.
The Outgoing President and His Adversary
Petro will leave office on August 7, handing over to far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who was openly supported by Trump during the election campaign. Relations between Petro and Trump were tense for most of the Colombian president’s term. Only in February 2026, after a meeting at the White House, did the sides attempt to improve dialogue.
As AP notes, Petro is “deeply concerned about his legal fate” after leaving office, since the sanctions against him remain in place. Against this backdrop, his appeal to Trump appears to be an attempt to secure support before he loses presidential immunity.
