Bogotá, Colombia – United States President Donald Trump apologized today to Colombian President Gustavo Petro for not inviting him to the ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit in Miami last week, according to the Colombian government.
In a post on X, the Office of the President said the two leaders spoke on the phone for roughly half an hour, during which Trump “reiterated that President Petro will always be welcome in the United States and apologized for any previous inconvenience related to an invitation to Miami.”
The apology comes days after Petro criticized Trump for sidelining Colombia in the ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit, in which Washington convened 17 Latin American and Caribbean nations to sign an anti-drug cooperation pact.
During the phone call today, the two leaders reportedly discussed a host of issues, including energy, security, and counter-narcotics operations.
The statement from Bogotá added that Petro had invited Trump to visit Cartagena, a city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, prompting the U.S. president to apologize for having excluded the South American leader from the Miami summit.
The ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit was held last Saturday at Trump’s Miami golf club and predominantly hosted delegates from conservative governments allied to the White House, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa.
Following the conference, Petro said: “With 17 small, weak countries lacking experience in dealing with cocaine, you cannot make a southern shield; it will be punctured.” He also highlighted his country’s experience in combatting drug trafficking and noted his government’s record seizures of cocaine.
Petro and Trump have had a fractious relationship over the past year, clashing on issues from deportation flights to drug control. The White House imposed sanctions on the Colombian leader in October, with the president accusing Petro of being “an illegal drug dealer.
But a call in January led to a detente, with Petro visiting the White House in February.
In the call today, Trump “expressed his gratitude for the communication and his interest in maintaining closer contact with the Colombian president, to whom he reiterated his appreciation and friendship,” according to the statement from Bogotá.
Featured image description: President Donald J. Trump meets with Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House in February, 2026.
Featured image credit: @WhiteHouse via X.