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Weekly Report - 15 January 2026 (WR-26-02)

COLOMBIA: Petro prepares to meet Trump as polls sour

Colombia’s defence minister travelled to the US this week to pave the way for a visit by President Gustavo Petro to the White House in early February. Sanctioned by the US for failing to curb drug trafficking, Petro has moved from being told to “watch his ass” by US President Donald Trump to securing a meeting in the White House with remarkable speed. A long phone call served to reduce tensions. The differences between the two heads of state are considerable, however, and relations might not remain cordial for long given their predilection for fiery posts on social media, not least since the first poll to be released since the US military operation to seize Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro suggests that the far-right candidate Abelardo De la Espriella has shot clear of Iván Cepeda of the ruling left-wing coalition Pacto Histórico ahead of presidential elections on 31 May.

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