Le président américain Donald Trump announced that arrangements were being made to welcome his Colombian counterpart to the White House Gustavo PetroThis comes just days after Colombia publicly raised the idea of military intervention. This initiative follows a telephone conversation between the two leaders, described as cordial by both sides.
According to Donald Trump, the call provided an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and several points of contention, particularly those related to drug trafficking. The US president stated that he appreciated the tone of his counterpart and expressed his support for a future meeting in Washington, without specifying a date. This would be Petro's first official visit to the White House since Trump's return to power.
For his part, Gustavo Petro confirmed the exchange and indicated that he had requested the resumption of dialogue between the two countries. During a rally in Bogotá dedicated to national sovereignty, he emphasized that this was their first direct contact since he assumed the presidency and stressed the need for relations based on mutual respect.
Relations between Washington and Colombia Relations have deteriorated sharply in recent months. The United States revoked Petro's visa in September before imposing personal sanctions in October. Donald Trump has repeatedly accused the Colombian administration, without providing evidence, of allowing significant flows of cocaine into the United States.
Verbal tensions have escalated recently, with the US president launching numerous personal attacks against his Colombian counterpart. Petro, a prominent figure on the Latin American left and an outspoken critic of US policy in the Middle East, had for his part accused Washington of complicity in the war in Gaza and denounced US military anti-drug operations in the Caribbean.
The announcement of a possible meeting at the White House However, this marks a notable shift in tone between the two capitals. It suggests an attempt at diplomatic appeasement, in a tense regional context following the arrest of the Venezuelan president and the increasing number of American displays of force in Latin America.
