Colombian President Petro's White House visit defuses months of tensions with Trump

Geoff Bennett:

Today, two presidents known for their fiery rhetoric toward each other met in the Oval Office and apparently put their acrimony behind them. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has long been a critic of President Trump and the U.S. itself.

Amna Nawaz:

But Mr. Trump this afternoon praised Petro and did not repeat previous threats of military action. And in a press conference tonight, Petro said the meeting eased tensions between Trump and all of Latin America.

Nick Schifrin reports.

Nick Schifrin:

Today, at the White House, a Colombian president who for decades criticized what he calls American imperialism was all smiles for the man he recently dubbed a would-be king.

President Trump greeted Gustavo Petro warmly, offered a personal tour of what he's labeled the Presidential Walk of Fame and wrote Petro a letter, "A great honor. I love Colombia" and inscribed his "Art of the Deal" "You are great."

President Donald Trump:

I thought he was terrific. He's great. We got along great.

Nick Schifrin:

Tonight, Petro said the meeting defused regional tensions.

Gustavo Petro, Colombian President (through interpreter):

He gave me a red cap that said "Make America Great Again." I wrote with a pen and put an S and said "Make Americas Great," and that can only be done on the basis of mutual respect.

Nick Schifrin:

That is a far cry from months of mutual maliciousness.

President Donald Trump:

Colombia is out of control, and now they have the worst president they have ever had. He's a lunatic who's got a lot of problems, mental problems.

Gustavo Petro (through interpreter):

We must respond to defend people's rights, the rights of democracy not to be governed by tyrannies.

President Donald Trump:

He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories. He's not going to be doing it.

Question:

So, there will be an operation by the U.S.?

President Donald Trump:

It sounds good to me.

Gustavo Petro (through interpreter):

For us, ICE operates the same way as the Nazi and Italian brigades, the fascists.

Nick Schifrin:

But after the U.S.' -- quote -- "law enforcement action" against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ended with him in handcuffs, President Trump says there's been a change in tone.

President Donald Trump:

I mean, he's been very nice over the last month or two. He was certainly critical before that. But, somehow, after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice. He changed his attitude very much.

Nick Schifrin:

What hasn't changed, the Colombian military's desire to combat drug smuggling. For years, they have worked with the U.S. to take steps like this, interdict cocaine from Colombia on the way to the United States.

The Trump administration's solution was military, dozens of strikes on alleged drug boats. Petro described that as murder. And his solution, voluntary eradication, letting farmers themselves rip up the root of the problem.

Woman (through interpreter):

It doesn't interest us. We don't want it because we know there's no future or way forward there for us.

Kevin Whitaker, Former U.S. Ambassador to Colombia: The theory is not wrong. The problem is, it's never worked in practice.

Nick Schifrin:

Kevin Whitaker was ambassador to Colombia from 2014 until 2019 under Presidents Obama and Trump. He points out that Colombia's cocaine production has grown year over year, and the country now supplies nearly 70 percent of the world's cocaine.

Kevin Whitaker:

I mean, a serious flaw in the Petro administration's approach to this entire issue is to completely stop the process of military engagement with these illegal armed groups who are behind the coca trade.

A serious approach would be to design a strategy aimed at undercutting the illegal armed groups as a military matter. I think that that would be very attractive to the U.S. administration. I also think it could be effective in Colombia.

Nick Schifrin:

Whitaker also says that, despite historic ties, Petro and the U.S. could cooperate on overlapping goals with the new government of Venezuela.

The U.S. has forced that government to stop exporting oil to Cuba, and now, under U.S. pressure, Mexico could also cut off its own supply to Cuba.

President Donald Trump:

It's a failed nation now, and they're not getting any money from Venezuela, and they're not getting any money from anywhere. It's a failed nation. Mexico is going to cease sending them oil. But we are dealing with the Cuban leaders right now.

Nick Schifrin:

Since the Cuban Revolution, the country has relied on an outside patron. It first lost the Soviet Union and now Venezuela.

Kevin Whitaker:

People have been predicting the end of the Castro regime in Cuba for many, many years. It's hard to think that this will be the time when it will really make a difference. But petroleum is very important to the economy. And if they lose the flows both from Mexico and from Venezuela, that's going to hurt economically.

Nick Schifrin:

And Cuba and the region will remain under enormous U.S. pressure that today brought a former guerrilla fighter to the seat of U.S. power.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.