U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly softened his tone on Wednesday toward Colombian President Gustavo Petro, announcing that the two had shared a cordial phone conversation and that he has invited Petro to visit the White House.
Trump posted on his social media platform that it was “a great honor” to speak with Petro, who had called to discuss issues including drug trafficking and other disagreements between their countries. He added that he appreciated the call and tone and looked forward to meeting Petro soon at the White House.
The statement marked a sharp shift from comments Trump made just days earlier after a U.S. operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At that time, Trump described Colombia as “very sick too” and accused Petro of producing and selling cocaine to the United States.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump had said of Petro, “He’s not going to be doing it very long,” and, when asked about possible U.S. intervention in Colombia, replied, “Sounds good to me.”
On Wednesday, Petro addressed thousands of protesters he had mobilized in Bogotá to oppose perceived U.S. military threats, saying his conversation with Trump lasted about an hour. He told the crowd that they had discussed Venezuela and drug trafficking and suggested that Colombian politicians connected to the drug trade had misled Trump to turn him against Petro.
The unexpected diplomatic outreach follows earlier tensions, which included Trump’s harsh public criticisms of Petro and sanctions against him and members of his government over alleged ties to the global drug trade. Colombia then accused the United States of violating its sovereignty, particularly after U.S. military actions in the region.
Despite the recent shift toward dialogue, observers note that bilateral relations had been strained for months, including the U.S. downgrading Colombia’s cooperation status in the drug war and reducing assistance to the country.
