Trump Hosts Petro at White House on Drug Cooperation

United States President Donald Trump hosted Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday for their first in-person meeting, marking a potential thaw in relations strained by months of public disputes over drug trafficking and regional security. The encounter, held behind closed doors in the Oval Office, focused on bolstering cooperation against narcotics and organized crime, according to officials from both governments.

Trump, who entered his second term last year, signed a copy of his 1987 book "The Art of the Deal" for Petro with the inscription "You are great," as shown in a photo posted by the Colombian leader after the session. The low-key arrival, through a side gate without the usual ceremonial flags or military honors, contrasted with expectations of confrontation. Reporters were excluded from the discussion, avoiding the kind of public exchanges that marked Trump's previous Oval Office meetings with other foreign leaders.

The meeting came weeks after Trump threatened military action against Colombia, likening it to a recent U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on January 3. Trump had accused Petro of allowing his...