President Donald Trump would seem to be applying the new Donroe Doctrine liberally (hah) throughout the hemisphere. In the latest such exercise, President Trump has invited Colombia's President Gustavo Petro to the White House in February for talks, and is indicating that cocaine and other drugs will be on the agenda.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 9, 2026
President Trump's full post reads:
I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February. I am sure it will work out very well for Colombia, and the U.S.A., but, cocaine and other drugs must be STOPPED from coming into the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
It's probably in President Petro's best interest to attend this meeting, and after what happened to former El Presidente Maduro over in Venezuela, Señor Petro would be well advised to show up with his hat in his hands and a conciliatory tone in his voice. President Trump appears to have his mind set on having Colombia tamp down on their own drug-exporting enterprises, and it wouldn't be a surprise to learn that he has laid it out to President Petro: "You stop the flow of drugs or we'll do it for you."
Of course, the Trump administration has already undertaken a good part of that effort. As for Colombia specifically, on Monday, my colleague Teri Christophe reported on some of President Trump's comments on that notorious cocaine-producing nation.
Read More: Trump Teases Further Military Action on South American Narco-States: ‘Sounds Good to Me’
And then there's Colombia. The president didn't rule out taking action there, saying, "Colombia is very sick, too. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he's not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you."
When asked what he meant by that statement, Trump replied, "He's not going to be doing it very long. He's not doing it very long. He has uh cocaine mills and cocaine factories. He's not going to be doing it very long. So, there will be an operation by the US and it sounds good to me. Secretary Rubio mentioned, you know why? Because they kill a lot of people."
This would indicate that, while President Petro may be conciliatory, President Trump may be anything but.
Read More: The 'Unwinnable' War on Drugs Suddenly Looks Very Winnable
As we've seen on multiple occasions, President Trump can be charming and gracious when the occasion calls for it. But it's not at all clear that will be the case this time. His earlier remarks, along with the very direct statement in today's announcement about Colombian drug-runners, would appear to indicate that President Petro will be in for what my grandmother used to refer to as a "dern good talking-to."
Here are a few facts about Colombia's cocaine production. In 2023, the most recent year for which good records are apparently available, Colombia produced 2,600 tons of cocaine. That's about 70 percent of global production. About 84 percent of the cocaine used in the United States comes from Colombia. Other drugs that come from Colombia include heroin (about 10 percent of the U.S. supply) and marijuana (about 32 metric tons in 2024, reduced from earlier record levels by increasing legalization in the USA). The total weight of illegal drugs entering the United States from Colombia runs close to 150 metric tons per year.
So, it seems like a pretty sure thing that President Trump and President Petro will have a lot to talk about.
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