U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans for a face-to-face meeting with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, following a conciliatory call between the two foes on Wednesday.
Trump described the almost hour-long call as “a great honor” in a Truth Social post, adding that the two discussed “the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had.”
The U.S. president added that he plans to meet with Petro at the White House, marking a surprise shift in rhetoric just days after Trump threatened to order a military intervention in Colombia.
“I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future,” wrote Trump, adding that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia’s foreign minister would coordinate the visit.
Petro also confirmed the planned meeting, writing in a post on X: “Peace always requires dialogue. We will speak with President Trump, about peace and global democracy, Latin American peace and sovereignty and Colombian peace.”
The two leaders discussed the narcotics trade in Colombia and their prior disagreements, according to Trump.
Petro added that for “most of the call, [Trump] let me express my views on two topics: drug trafficking and Venezuela.”
The call between the two ended just moments before the Colombian president addressed a mass rally in Bogotá which he had called to protest U.S. threats against Colombia.
“I prepared a speech but now I have to give a different one… the first speech was quite harsh,” Petro told the crowd.
The unexpected dialogue and planned meeting represent a surprise easing in tensions between the two leaders following almost a year of tit-for-tat exchanges, which culminated in Trump saying on Sunday that military intervention in Colombia “sounds good”.
Colombia has long been Washington’s closest ally in Latin America, but Petro and Trump have clashed on a host of issues, including deportation flights, drugs, and the Israeli genocide in Palestine.
The White House revoked Petro’s visa to the United States in September after he called on U.S. troops to disobey orders at a pro-Palestine rally in New York.
Washington also accuses Petro of being involved in narcotics trafficking, citing record high potential cocaine production in Colombia under the current administration, which surged over 50% in 2023, according to the United Nations.
But Petro has staunchly defended his counternarcotics record and complained about the methodology of UN reports, which estimate cocaine production based on coca leaf cultivation – a criticism accepted by the UN, which vowed to amend its procedure.
Nevertheless, Washington has used allegations that Petro is involved in the drug trade to personally sanction him, adding the president, his wife, his son, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti to the ‘Clinton List’ of sanctioned individuals in October.
It is unclear what would be on the table at the planned meeting between Petro and Trump and if the White House would consider removing sanctions on the Colombian president.
Featured image credit: Colombian President’s Office.
