President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that he had a productive conversation with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, with whom he has had an intense, often hostile relationship since returning to office last January.
[read more]
“It was a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. “I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future.”
Trump added that Colombia’s foreign minister had agreed to a White House meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The announcement marks a significant shift in the relationship between President Trump and one of South America’s last remaining leftist leaders, as the two have been overwhelmingly hostile towards each other since Trump returned to the White House last January.
Just day into Trump’s second term, Petro refused to allow a deportation flight to land in Colombian territory, which prompted the U.S. to immediately slap the nation with significant economic penalties. Petro backed down almost immediately, though hostility persisted in the following months.
Following a lengthy tirade at the UN General Assembly — during which Petro referred to the United States as a colonial power and compared President Trump to Adolph Hitler — the U.S. government moved to revoke his visa. All U.S. subsidies pertaining to Colombia were also cancelled.[/read]