Colombian President Gustavo Petro will meet US President Donald Trump on February 3, even as relations between the two countries remain tense after the former warned of a “real threat” of US military action
against Colombia.
Petro made the announcement during a meeting with the Council of Ministers, in which he said that the official meeting will take place with the aim of addressing the issues that have marked the recent bilateral dialogue. “My intention is that Colombians from any place in the country do not suffer and are at ease,” he said.
Petro said his government’s crackdown on the drug trade will be one of the central topics of the official meeting on February 3 between the Governments of Colombia and the United States, in which data and concrete results will be reviewed.
“Finally, there is a communication that allows President Donald Trump and the United States authorities to truly know what is happening with the fight we have waged from the Government of Colombia against narcotics, especially cocaine,” he said in a statement.
Petro-Trump Talks
This came after Petro and Trump spoke by phone last week. After the call, Trump said he would meet Petro at the White House in the “near future,” later describing the conversation on his Truth Social platform as a “great honour.” A Colombian official said at the time that the discussion marked a 180-degree shift in tone from both sides.
However, Petro suggested on Thursday that relations had not significantly improved. He said the call lasted just under an hour, with discussions focused on drug trafficking, Colombia’s position on Venezuela, and broader US policy in Latin America.
US-Colombia Tensions
Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly linked immigration to crime and drug trafficking, accusing countries such as Colombia and Venezuela of failing to do enough to curb the drug trade. Tensions escalated after Trump made several threats towards Colombia after capturing Venezuelan President Maduro in an audacious raid.
Petro had accused Washington of behaving like an empire and risking international isolation. He even dared Trump to “come and get” him like the US military abducted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
“Come get me. I’m waiting for you here,” Petro said in a statement last week, warning of serious consequences if the US escalated tensions. Petro also criticised US immigration crackdown, saying that the ICE had “gone beyond persecuting Latin Americans in the streets” and was now killing US citizens.
Trump’s Threats
Shortly after the Caracas raid, Trump claimed that Colombia is run by a “sick man” who is “selling drugs to the US.” He also said Petro should “watch his a**.”
“Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you,” Trump said. He also stated that launching an operation against Colombia “sounds good” to him.
