Several issues remained unresolved after yesterday’s successful meeting between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump at the White House. After restoring — according to both leaders — the political relationship between two ideologically opposed governments, the sanctions that personally affect Petro were relegated — at least publicly — to the background, and the U.S. removing Petro from the Clinton List was one of them.
In fact, when Petro was directly asked by journalists about the issue at the press conference following the meeting with Trump, he declined to elaborate on whether his inclusion last year on the so-called Clinton List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had been discussed.
Nevertheless, what until recently seemed like an insurmountable obstacle is now beginning to be viewed as an object of negotiation and strategic assessment by Washington, with a possible outcome that, beyond its political impact, would have personal implications for Gustavo Petro, even beyond the end of his term next August.
The Clinton List, which in practice is associated with sanctions including asset freezes and travel restrictions for alleged links to drug trafficking or illicit activities, is the main sanction — along with the revocation of his visa — imposed by the Trump administration against the still-serving Colombian president.
The practical effects of that designation have been the subject of analysis and controversy, with the president himself stating on several occasions that the measure does not directly affect him because he holds no assets in the United States. Yesterday’s meeting, however, opened a new chapter by introducing the possibility — albeit conditional — that the United States may reconsider that decision.
US considers removing Colombia’s Petro from the Clinton List
According to accounts known to Colombian media and published today by Blu Radio, Petro’s removal from the OFAC list was indeed addressed during the Washington meeting.
Officials close to the White House reportedly indicated that the Trump administration will assess the possibility of excluding the Colombian leader from the Clinton List, but that decision would be conditioned on political and governance factors that go beyond the simple cordiality of the bilateral meeting.
Among those factors, according to the available information, are aspects linked to Colombia’s electoral process, which is now entering its final stretch.
The United States, according to those accounts, would pay special attention to ensuring that Colombia’s presidential elections are conducted with guarantees of transparency and freedom, with a neutral government that does not intervene in favor of any candidate.
The requirement to guarantee free and fair elections, the prohibition of direct participation by public officials in political campaigns, and the observance of strictly neutral government conduct were cited as conditions that could influence the final decision on Petro’s continued presence on the list.
In other words, beyond an act of political will, Washington would be linking Petro’s exclusion from the Clinton List to explicit commitments to the democratic quality of the electoral process.
The eventual decision, according to timelines circulating in diplomatic sources, would not be immediate. The United States would consider postponing any determination until the official results of Colombia’s elections are known, with the first round scheduled for late May and a possible second round in June.
Only after that process could a definitive verdict be issued. This leaves Petro in a kind of political and diplomatic limbo, with the possibility that his status on the list could change without, for now, any precise timetable.
In this context, Republican senator of Colombian origin Bernie Moreno, who was present at the meeting between Trump and Petro, wrote a message along the same lines. “It is essential that Colombia guarantee its people transparent, free, and fair elections — not only next month, but also in May and June. The United States will be watching closely,” he warned.
I was honored to join President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Oval Office today.
President Trump pledged to be a peacemaker and a unifier when he took office just over one year ago. He has delivered, and continues to deliver, on that… pic.twitter.com/Uj8uXlOTfq
— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) February 3, 2026
Public contradictions and future outlook
While some sources claim the issue was discussed and raised as a concrete possibility, other diplomatic voices, including Colombia’s ambassador in Washington, have downplayed the matter, noting that it was not a central topic of discussion during the meeting.
Petro himself has sought to strip the issue of drama, stating at public events that he has not explicitly requested his removal from the list and that he prefers to focus on his government’s priorities in Colombia.
This public ambiguity adds a layer of complexity to the interpretation of events, since taking a firm position one way or the other would mean either celebrating or denying diplomatic progress at a moment of high political sensitivity.
Beyond the rhetoric, the electoral context and strained bilateral relations play a crucial role. The United States has criticized Petro’s handling of drug trafficking, including the withdrawal of anti-narcotics financial assistance and the revocation of visas for senior Colombian officials.
Petro, for his part, has defended his policies on grounds of sovereignty and the right to define his own domestic strategies, while categorically rejecting allegations of links to drug trafficking that initially led to his inclusion on the Clinton List.
Yesterday’s meeting at the White House, beyond the possibility of reviewing Petro’s status on the Clinton List, can be read as a pragmatic attempt to repair a relationship that had reached levels of friction rarely seen in recent decades.
The focus on issues such as the fight against drugs, regional security, and economic cooperation suggests that both governments are seeking areas of convergence, even as big differences persist.
The possibility that the United States could remove Petro from the list will depend both on domestic political factors in Colombia and on the evolution of the electoral process, as well as on Washington’s interpretation of the Colombian government’s conduct in the short term.
Amid this dynamic, Colombian public opinion is watching closely, aware that a decision on the Clinton List could have both symbolic and practical consequences for relations between Bogota and Washington, and for the international perception of Colombian policy at a crucial moment for the country’s democracy.
That impact, if it ultimately materializes, will be shaped by the terms and conditions attached to any eventual removal of Petro from a list that, until now, has been synonymous with sanctions and diplomatic estrangement.