Trump Calls Colombia's Petro: Fresh Air for Old Dog's Latin America playbook?
The Hill reports Donald Trump, fresh off a campaign event, spoke with Colombian President Gustavo Petro just days after Venezuela's military strikes. This seemingly amicable diplomatic gesture is presented as a neutral, if notable, occurrence. What they don't say is how this fits into decades of US policy that has treated Latin America less like sovereign nations and more like a backyard sandbox
for geopolitical games. Before Petro, Colombia was a loyal US proxy state, receiving billions in military aid under Plan Colombia (source: US Department of State), often used to suppress internal dissent under the guise of the 'war on drugs.' One might charitably wonder if this signals a new era of dialogue, or if it's merely a transactional overture—a quick call to assert influence during brewing
regional tensions. The timing, 'days after Venezuela strikes,' isn't accidental, but a convenient re-insertion into regional narratives. It's almost as if some players never leave the stage, merely change acts. How many phone calls does it take to reset decades of interventionist policy?