The White House is preparing to receive President Gustavo Petro this Tuesday for a meeting that has captured the attention of Latin American diplomacy. That this long-anticipated and carefully arranged visit did not come about by accident or through spontaneous gestures between leaders was already known. And to make the etro-Trump meeting happen, Petro’s government hired a U.S.-based public relations firm.
It also emerged today that behind the coordination lies the culmination of months of work with lawmakers, strategists, and a U.S. public relations and lobbying firm hired by the Colombian Embassy in Washington, whose role was key in opening channels of dialogue with the Donald Trump administration.
The presidential meeting, scheduled for tomorrow, is the result of high-level political efforts that include calls between leaders of both countries, contacts with Republican and Democratic lawmakers, and, in particular, the advice of the firm DGA Group, which specializes in government relations and communication strategies in the United States.
At a time of bilateral tensions — marked by differences over drug policy, security, and migration — Colombia sought in Washington an institutional bridge to facilitate this meeting amid diplomatic disagreements that have been evident in recent months.
Colombia hired a US firm to arrange the Petro–Trump meeting
The entity hired by Colombia’s diplomatic mission is DGA Group, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that combines public relations, public affairs, and government relations advisory services. The company was selected by the Colombian Embassy in July 2025 under a contract worth around 2.6 billion pesos (approximately US$715,000) for one year, with the explicit goal of building bipartisan bridges within the U.S. political system and strengthening dialogue between Colombian officials and lawmakers from both parties.
According to official documents related to the agreement, DGA Group assumed commitments that include drafting specialized reports, organizing strategic events, and strengthening ties with both members of Congress and opinion leaders and academics who influence U.S. foreign policy.
Part of these functions also includes advice on complex issues such as drug policy, the migration crisis, and trade agreements between Washington and Bogota — precisely the issues that make up tomorrow’s meeting agenda.
Leading this effort is Nicole Frazier, who heads the work for Colombia at DGA Group. Frazier is a strategist known for her pragmatic approach and for having held senior positions in the U.S. administration during Trump’s first term, making her one of the highest-ranking African-American women of that period.
Her experience in overcoming political divides and advancing bipartisan solutions was presented as a key asset for a relationship that has weathered tensions and public statements from both governments.
DGA Group, a familiar name to Colombia
The hiring of DGA Group was neither an isolated move nor a new development in Colombia’s diplomatic history. Previous governments have also turned to specialized public relations and lobbying firms in Washington to promote their interests before the Capitol or the White House.
However, the current context is marked by strong frictions between Bogota and Washington, including public statements by President Trump that have sharply criticized the Colombian government over drug trafficking and have called into question several aspects of bilateral cooperation.
In this scenario, the contract with the U.S. firm has come under political and media scrutiny. The estimated cost of more than 2 billion pesos (approximately US$715,000) and the nature of the services contracted have sparked debates over the effectiveness and appropriateness of paying for lobbying services when diplomatic relations between traditionally allied countries are strained in public forums.
Despite this, officials at the Colombian diplomatic mission say that the firm’s presence in Washington has been decisive in enabling President Petro to now sit face to face with Trump after months of intergovernmental efforts.
Supporters of the contract argue that DGA Group has helped overcome resistance and informal barriers, translating Colombian interests into a language that resonates both at the White House and in Congress.
Analysts consulted by Colombian media assert that without this public relations and lobbying work, it would be unlikely that even a phone call between the two presidents would have taken place, much less an in-person dialogue in the Oval Office.
The countdown to Washington
With the presidential meeting now imminent, the U.S. public relations firm emerges as a central piece in a diplomatic narrative that has sought to rebuild channels of communication and influence after episodes of disregard and public tensions.
The task of DGA Group — and of those who hired it — has been to translate a matter of state interest into concrete actions within a complex foreign political system, where personal relationships, contacts, and political timing can define the success or failure of a high-level visit.
Tomorrow, when Presidents Petro and Trump sit face to face at the White House, the outcome of that strategic work will come under scrutiny, and the future of bilateral relations between two traditional allies — today more distant than ever — will begin to shape its most immediate path.
For Colombia, the meeting will be a firsthand opportunity to demonstrate its efforts in anti-drug policy, the main point of friction with the Trump administration, along a long road that this well-known firm helped open after a year of disagreements and estrangement between the two governments.
Related: Petro–Trump Meeting to Shape Nearly US$30 Billion US–Colombia Trade.