U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, and the two leaders agreed to hold a meeting at the White
House in the coming weeks. This was the first direct conversation between Trump and Petro, coming amid efforts to ease rising tensions between the United States and Colombia. The call followed a series of sharp public statements, including threats from Trump about possible military action. Just days earlier, during a press interaction this week, Trump commented that an operation to remove Petro from power, after accusing him of ties to cocaine trafficking, "sounds good to me." The day before that, Trump warned the Colombian leader to "watch his ass." Petro strongly rejected the drug accusations. He responded by saying that any attempt to arrest him would "unleash the people's jaguar," adding that he was ready to take up arms himself. On Monday, Petro declared defiantly, "Come and get me."
Here is what you need to know
The tensions have deeper roots. Back in October, the U.S. Treasury Department placed sanctions on Petro, his wife, his son, and Colombia's interior minister, citing alleged connections to illicit drug trade. Trump described the Wednesday call in a post on Truth Social that evening.He said Petro reached out "to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements" they have had. "I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future," Trump wrote. Petro, speaking to supporters in Bogota on Wednesday, confirmed he initiated the hour-long call to reduce tensions and reopen dialogue with the U.S.
Read more: 'Come Get Me' Says Colombia's President After Trump's Threat
"In the conversation...I made a request: that direct communications between the foreign ministries and the presidents be reestablished. If there is no dialogue, there will be war," Petro said. He described the discussion as respectful. According to Petro, he shared details with Trump about his government's efforts to combat drug trafficking, including data on their progress. The two also touched on the ongoing situation in Venezuela. The planned White House meeting marks a step toward de-escalation after weeks of public confrontation between the two leaders.
