MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump invites Petro to White House following phone call

Petro and Trump shifted from a confrontational to a diplomatic tone

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he would host Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House in the coming days to resolve a “pre-war” climate between the two nations. The initiative was agreed upon after a telephone call between both leaders lasting over one hour.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump noted that Petro called to “explain the situation of drugs” and other recent disputes. “I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting with him soon,” he posted, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio were finalizing the arrangements.

The diplomatic thaw comes just days after a period of extreme volatility. Following the US military capture of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas last Saturday, Trump had suggested that Colombia was “very sick” and hinted at potential military intervention in the country.

In response, Petro mobilized thousands of supporters in Bogotá's Plaza de Bolívar on Wednesday, initially intending to protest US “aggression.” However, following the call, Petro’s tone shifted from confrontational to diplomatic and told the crowd that Trump had been “misled” by political rivals who portrayed the Colombian president as a drug trafficker.

Petro further proposed a US$500 billion clean energy partnership for Latin America, moving the conversation away from illicit crops and toward green investment.

Despite the rapprochement with Washington, Petro admitted to maintaining direct contact with Caracas. He confirmed a conversation two days prior with caretaker President Delcy Rodríguez.

Hence, he suggested a three-way dialogue involving Colombia, Venezuela, and the United States to stabilize the region and prevent a domestic outbreak of violence in Venezuela.

“Peace in Venezuela is peace in Colombia,” Petro told the cheering crowd, emphasizing that regional stability requires addressing the National Liberation Army (ELN), which operates across the shared border.