Washington, D.C., January 8: US President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have held their first phone conversation following a recent exchange of sharp rhetoric, as relations between the United States and several Latin American countries remain strained.
The call took place days after Trump accused the Colombian leader of being “sick” and linked him to cocaine trafficking. During the conversation, the two leaders discussed counter-narcotics policy and other areas of disagreement and agreed to hold an in-person meeting in the future.
Trump confirmed the call in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, saying it was an honor to speak with President Petro, who had called to explain issues related to drugs and other disputes between the two countries. Trump said he appreciated Petro’s call and tone and looked forward to meeting him soon.
The Colombian government separately confirmed that Petro spoke with Trump for about 35 minutes, describing the exchange as positive, according to a report by The Hill.
The outreach followed heightened tensions after recent US strikes on Venezuela, after which Trump issued warnings to several countries in the region about potential US intervention. Colombia was among those mentioned, with Trump on Sunday referring to Petro as a “sick man” involved in cocaine production and sales to the United States, The Hill reported.
The rhetoric escalated further when Trump was asked by NewsNation’s Libbey Dean whether he intended to launch a military operation against Colombia. He responded that such an action “sounds good.”
Trump has previously made threatening remarks about the Colombian president. Last month, he warned that Petro “better watch his a–.”
In response, Petro called on Colombians to defend national sovereignty and warned against any US intervention following the recent strikes. He said that bombing rural communities or arresting an elected president would provoke widespread resistance, according to The City Paper Bogota.
As tensions rose, Petro ordered the deployment of 30,000 Colombian soldiers along the country’s border with Venezuela on Sunday.
Trump has also issued warnings to other countries in the region, including Mexico and Cuba. He has threatened to deploy the US military against cartel leaders in Mexico and suggested that Cuba’s government could collapse without support from Venezuela, The Hill reported.
About The Author
