Michael Shifter, senior fellow and former president, and Andrea Colombo, former intern, both at the Inter-American Dialogue: “As expected, Presidents Joe Biden and Gustavo Petro set a constructive tone for their first encounter at the White House. Against the backdrop of the 200th anniversary celebration of the bilateral relationship and complicated domestic politics in both countries, the U.S. and Colombian leaders pointed to a common agenda focused on tackling climate change, migration and the drug problem. Despite various political and policy differences and some infelicitous comments by Colombia’s foreign minister, it’s clear that neither government has an interest in having a hostile relationship. The Biden administration’s wise decision to actively engage the Petro government has been obvious from the outset. While Petro’s proposals on counternarcotics and security (‘total peace’) could prove to be a source of tension between the Colombian and U.S. governments, these proposals still lack…”