Can the Colombian leader stand up to the US and make peace at home?

Can Gustavo Petro survive Colombia’s growing political challenges?

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on January 26, 2025 shows Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Bogota on July 09, 2024 and US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. US President Donald Trump on January 26, 2025, ordered sweeping tariffs and sanctions against Colombia in retaliation for its refusal to accept deportation flights, as Bogota responded in kind with a 25 percent levy on US goods. (LUIS ACOSTA and JIM WATSON / AFP)
US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions against Colombia in response to its earlier refusal to accept military flights carrying deportees [File: AFP]

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro is facing a critical moment. Violence near the Venezuelan border, a state of emergency and United States deportation flights have tested his leadership. Can Petro hold onto power and regain the trust of a divided nation?

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Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, and Sarí el-Khalili with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Hagir Saleh, Melanie Marich, and Hanah Shokeir, and our host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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Source: Al Jazeera

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