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Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, is undertaking a critical trip to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. This marks the first face-to-face meeting for the two leaders after months of rising tensions and sharp rhetoric.

Topics for Talks

The situation in Venezuela, drug trafficking, energy, regional stability, and US strikes on suspected narco-boats are set to be top on the list of topics when they gather at the US presidential residence on the scheduled day.

Background of Strained Relations

Although the two men were cordial in a phone call following a recent US military operation, Petro has since stated he feels there is a "genuine danger" of military action against Colombia. Trump, in turn, has earlier commented that a military operation in Colombia "sounds good".

Tuesday's summit comes after an extended period of the two leaders trading barbs. Petro has often condemned repeated US attacks on suspected narco-vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, as well as the White House's border policies.

"His stance shifted," the US President reportedly stating ahead of the Washington talks.

Points of Contention

On the US side, Trump has accused Petro's government of not doing enough to halt the trafficking of narcotics heading north, and has vowed to extend military actions to terrestrial objectives across the region.

However, the acrimony seemed to subside after a "cordial" telephone conversation involving the two presidents, which a source from Bogotá later described as an complete reversal "from both sides".

Diplomatic Bridge

Per diplomatic sources, one man – US Senator Rand Paul – was instrumental in setting up the dialogue. "I believe in diplomacy and I thought our ties were going in the wrong direction," the senator was quoted as saying. "And I'd like to see our relations to get better."

Border Security and the Guerrilla Group

Ahead of Tuesday's visit, officials from Bogotá stated that much of the conversation would center on mutual US and Colombian worries over security in Venezuela, with which Colombia has an extensive frontier.

Much of that border is under the sway of the ELN. This Colombian guerrilla group, founded in the 1960s, controls narco-trade, racketeering, smuggling, and unlawful extraction in frontier regions and allegedly collaborates with compromised officials within the Caracas administration.

From the US perspective, addressing the challenge of the ELN will be crucial to guaranteeing safety for US companies engaged in Venezuela's energy sector. Experts point out that the ELN has the potential to spoil investment plans by targeting international businesses and staff, as it has previously done in Colombia.

Counter-Narcotics Collaboration

An similarly urgent matter for the two leaders will be the fight against drug trafficking from Colombia, the global biggest source of the narcotic. Earlier this year, Petro ordered a temporary pause on intelligence sharing with US security agencies after Trump's threats.

The US has, in turn, officially listed Colombia as a country that has "demonstrably failed" in combating the narcotics trade. It has also imposed restrictions on figures in Petro's government, encompassing the president and his relatives.

"Combating the cocaine trade is impossible without Colombia," said a analyst. "Any move to cut off Colombian cooperation could also undermine all enforcement efforts."

Potential Outcomes

Despite multiple areas for cooperation, the potential for a confrontation remains. "The US President's stance can be volatile," observed a former diplomat. "I suspect is that Petro will walk in with some concessions to avert Trump's ire... However, it's unpredictable."

For the Colombian leader, even a difficult meeting could be advantageous. His presidential term concludes in the coming months, and the results of the meeting could influence the electoral chances of his chosen candidate.

"To an extent, he's kind of in a win-win situation," noted a Latin American studies professor. "A positive outcome undermines opposition arguments... If it doesn't, he's protecting national sovereignty. He could turn that in his favor."