Petro says he asked Trump to lift his OFAC sanctions in a phone call

MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Saturday, July 4th 2026 - 07:26 UTC

Petro, his wife, his eldest son and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti were placed on that list in October 2025

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he held a phone conversation on Friday with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in which he asked for support in removing the sanctions on him and his family under the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list, known as the Clinton List. According to the Colombian leader and a statement from the Presidency, Trump replied that he “will do his best” to review the case. The White House did not officially confirm the call.

Petro, his wife, his eldest son and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti were placed on that list in October 2025. Administered by the Treasury Department, it blocks access to the financial system for individuals flagged over alleged ties to drug trafficking. At the time, Washington argued that the left-wing president's policies had favored the expansion of coca crops. “I was surprised that he did not know that my family and I were still on the OFAC list; he promised me he would take action on the matter,” Petro wrote on the social network X, where he described the exchange as “friendly.”