Trump says he spoke with Colombia’s President Petro amid rising tensions

President Trump said he spoke by phone with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, signaling a possible easing of tensions days after Trump suggested Colombia could face U.S. military action similar to the operation carried out in Venezuela.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump said Petro called him to discuss disagreements over drugs and other issues, adding that he appreciated the Colombian leader’s tone and looked forward to meeting him.

Trump said arrangements are being made between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia’s foreign minister for a meeting at the White House.

Petro addressed supporters shortly after the call, saying the conversation helped restore direct communication between the two governments after days of what he described as dangerous public rhetoric.

Petro said he used the call to address two main issues: Venezuela and drug trafficking. He rejected claims that he is linked to narcotics production.

Petro accused Colombian political figures based in the United States of spreading false information that portrayed him as connected to cocaine trafficking and as an ally of Nicolás Maduro. Petro said those claims, in his view, helped fuel the recent diplomatic crisis.

The call follows a U.S. military raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Maduro. A day later, while speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump suggested Colombia could be the next target of U.S. military action, saying a similar operation sounded good to him.

Trump also described Petro as a “sick man” and accused him of running “cocaine mills and cocaine factories” to supply drugs to the United States, adding that Petro “is not going to be doing it for very long.”

Petro responded publicly by saying that while he did not seek conflict, he would defend Colombia if the country were invaded. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry issued a formal diplomatic note of protest, calling Trump’s remarks “unacceptable interference” in the country’s internal affairs.

The Colombian president said the phone call marked the first direct conversation between the two leaders since Trump returned to office and said both sides agreed to reopen direct diplomatic channels moving forward.