The meeting between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump at the White House dealt a blow to the Mexican ambassador in Washington, Esteban Moctezuma. According to sources in the Foreign Ministry, Moctezuma was one of the main advocates last year for avoiding a visit by Claudia Sheinbaum to the White House, arguing that Donald Trump was unpredictable and could create an awkward situation with the press. The arrest could be a setback for opponents of the Colombian leader. Meanwhile, the press in Bogotá on Wednesday praised Petro's role, presenting him as a leader capable of handling Trump's outbursts. There was no press at the meeting, which was managed by the Colombian embassy. Trump gave Petro gifts and invited Colombia's state-owned oil company, Ecopetrol, to participate in oil business ventures in Venezuela. Major pollsters stated that the photo op in Washington could improve Petro's approval rating. The question circulating in the Mexican Foreign Ministry is: 'Why can't Moctezuma arrange something like this for our president?' The Colombian president had previously traded insults with Trump, been labeled a 'narcotrafficker' by the Republican, had his visa revoked, and was placed on a financial blacklist by the U.S. Treasury Department. However, Tuesday's meeting proceeded harmoniously. Additionally, Moctezuma had argued that even if Trump restrained himself, some of his guests at the meeting, such as Vice President JD Vance, might still provoke an incident. The example the ambassador often cited was last year's visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Oval Office, where the European leader had a heated argument with Trump and was confronted by Vance. Petro's visit is a blow to that narrative. The current Foreign Minister, Juan Ramón De la Fuente, was then mentioned. Initially, the undersecretary, Roberto Velasco, was considered a potential ambassador, but he has built a close relationship with the president. Another who has sought the position from within the 'Fourth Transformation' is Senator Alejandro Murat, who is on good terms with Moctezuma. As a final point, on Wednesday, Alex Saab, a man linked to Nicolás Maduro and associated with one of Petro's main political competitors in the upcoming Colombian elections, was arrested. The subsequent commentary is that, precisely because of Petro's visit, the ambassador went on television to appear on Fox News and CBS. An attempt to raise his profile amidst internal criticism. Moctezuma's departure from his post has been on the table for months.
