Trump and Petro cool down rhetoric and agree to meet in Washington

The growing tension between the presidents of the United States and Colombia seemed to ease on Wednesday after a surprise announcement by Donald Trump, who said he had received a call from Gustavo Petro and they agreed to meet in the “near future” at the White House. Trump — who has accused Petro of producing cocaine and just days ago said an operation targeting Colombia “sounds good” — wrote on his Truth Social network that the Colombian president had called him to explain “the situation of drugs and other disagreements,” and remarked that he “appreciated [Petro’s] call and tone.” On Saturday, following the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump had described Petro as a “sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States,” and added: “He’s not going to be doing it for very long.” He also warned the Colombian president should “watch his ass.” In a complete change of tone, the U.S. president wrote on Wednesday that “it was a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro.” “I appreciated his call and tone and look forward to meeting him in the near future,” posted Trump. The Colombian embassy in the U.S. confirmed the call and said Petro’s government also appreciates Washington’s “constructive tone”. “Colombia remains open to dialogue and constructive engagement with the United States, guided by mutual respect and understanding, with a shared interest in regional stability,” said a statement by the diplomatic delegation. It detailed that the call addressed bilateral cooperation and expanding the two countries’ joint agenda. The announcement came just hours after the Colombian president called for a mobilization in several parts of his country to reject Trump’s threats. Petro has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s incursion in Venezuela, a country which borders Colombia.