The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, held a meeting of approximately two hours with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in Washington this Tuesday. Although official details of the conversation were released piecemeal, the Colombian president later revealed an episode that drew attention: the gift of the iconic red cap with the phrase “Make America Great Again.” According to Petro, the cap included the numbers 45 and 47 embroidered on the sides, referring to Trump's first term (2017–2021) and the current presidential term that extends from 2025 to 2029. A widely recognized symbol of Trumpism that, far from going unnoticed, was taken seriously by the Colombian president. A symbolic gesture at the White House. According to Caracol Radio, Petro recounted that he decided to respond to the gift symbolically. “I took a pen—there were about ten very nice pens—and I added an 'S' to America,” he said, modifying the original slogan as a way of marking ideological distance. The president was emphatic in clarifying that the moment was not a joke for him. “It may have been funny for President Trump, but for me it was very serious,” he stated, underlining that political symbols have a weight that transcends the anecdotal, especially in a diplomatic context. Impressions of the meeting between Petro and Trump: During the conversation, Petro also shared his impressions of the White House: “I didn't know the White House; now I see it as more beautiful.” He even went so far as to call Trump “a good designer,” highlighting changes made to the presidential residence. The Colombian president explained that the meeting took place with good participation from different sectors of the US government. "I met with a government meeting at its highest level. They served me a delicious Colombian coffee," he recounted.

International Politics

Petro noted that key issues on the global agenda were also addressed during the meeting, such as the role of the United Nations, the challenges of the current international landscape, and future prospects, which is why, in his view,the meeting was between governments and not between political factions. Beyond the symbolic exchange of the cap, the meeting between Petro and Trump highlighted the importance of institutional dialogue between Colombia and the United States in a context marked by tensions.