The president of the United States, Donald Trump, said this Wednesday that he plans to meet with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, after holding a phone call amid tensions between both governments due to the Republican’s repeated criticism of the Colombian president and Bogotá’s rejection of the US military operation in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, last Saturday.
Trump noted on his social network Truth Social that it was “a great honor” to speak with President Petro, who called him to explain the situation related to drug trafficking and other disagreements between both Administrations.
The US president stated that he appreciated the call and the tone of the conversation, and expressed his willingness to meet with his Colombian counterpart in the near future.
The North American president said that the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Villavicencio, are already working on the necessary arrangements to hold the meeting, which, according to him, will be held at the White House in Washington.
Prior to their first call amid mutual criticism and tension, Trump had gone so far as to describe Petro as being “very hostile” or saying that he would be next, in reference to his anti-drug operations that led to the capture of Maduro last weekend.
The US president has said of the Government of Bogotá that its fight against drug trafficking has been insufficient and has even suggested that an operation similar to the one carried out in Venezuela “sounds good” also for Colombia, a rhetoric that has provoked official rejections in the Colombian capital.
This Tuesday, in a session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), Colombia expressed its rejection of Trump’s threats as an unacceptable interference in national sovereignty and repudiated the military actions of the United States in Venezuela, arguing that such policies violate international law.
Bogotá’s position before the OAS underlines the defense of regional sovereignty and the condemnation of any action that it perceives as aggressive or destabilizing in Latin America.
In the event of a meeting, Petro would currently not be able to travel to the United States because Trump withdrew his visa in September 2025, after the Colombian president’s stay in New York for the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, where he strongly criticized the United States Administration for its regional policies and its role in Gaza.
With information from EFE.
Follow information about business and current events in Forbes Mexico
Do you like to get informed through Google News? Follow our Showcase to have the best stories
