President Gustavo Petro of Colombia initiated a direct telephone conversation with former U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking Trump’s intervention to remove Petro and his former vice president, Verónica Alcocer, from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list, according to multiple Colombian media outlets including Revista Semana and ELTIEMPO.com. The request, described as “unusual” by Petro during a press briefing, highlights the complex interplay between U.S. financial sanctions and bilateral diplomatic relations in the Andean region.
The OFAC list, established under the Clinton administration, targets individuals and entities linked to drug trafficking, terrorism, or other illicit activities. Petro’s inclusion, along with Alcocer’s, reportedly stems from alleged ties to paramilitary groups during his tenure as a senator in the 2000s. A U.S. Treasury spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the sanctions, citing ongoing investigations.
“I found it surprising that Trump did not know I did not support Abelardo De La Espriella,” Petro said, referencing a former Colombian politician linked to paramilitary groups. “This call was about clarity and resolving a situation that has affected our bilateral relations.”
Why the Clinton List Matters: A Historical Context
The Clinton-era sanctions, formally known as the “List of Specially Designated Nationals,” were expanded under subsequent administrations to address evolving threats. However, critics argue the list has been inconsistently applied, often reflecting political priorities rather than clear legal criteria. In 2023, the U.S. State Department acknowledged that a significant portion of OFAC-designated individuals in Latin America had no publicly available evidence of wrongdoing, according to a Council on Foreign Relations analysis.
Trump’s Role: A Shift in U.S.-Colombia Dynamics?
The call between Petro and Trump marks an unusual alignment between a left-leaning Colombian leader and a former U.S. president known for his skepticism of multilateral institutions. Trump’s team did not respond to requests for comment, but his 2024 campaign rhetoric suggested a willingness to revisit sanctions policies. “We’ll look at all options, including removing names from lists if they’re not guilty,” he stated during a rally in Florida.
Analysts note that Trump’s potential influence on OFAC decisions is limited by the agency’s statutory independence.
The Economic and Political Fallout
The sanctions have had tangible effects on Colombia’s economy. A 2025 report by the World Bank found that OFAC-designated individuals and entities lost an estimated millions in cross-border investments between 2018 and 2025
