Trump announces White House meeting with Colombian president

US President Donald Trump has announced that he will meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House in early February. The announcement came via a post on Trump’s social network, Truth Social.

“I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February. I am sure it will work out very well for Colombia, and the U.S.A., but, cocaine and other drugs must be STOPPED from coming into the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.

According to Colombia’s ambassador to the United States, Daniel García‑Peña, the governments of Bogotá and Washington have already begun preparations for this high‑level meeting, which is part of efforts by both capitals to stabilise diplomatic relations following recent tensions. The session is expected to take place in the coming weeks at the White House.

The invitation for Petro to visit Washington was issued by President Trump after a telephone conversation between the two leaders, which the ambassador said helped ease bilateral strains and signalled what Bogotá hopes will be a “new chapter” in US–Colombian engagement. He also noted that the foreign ministries of both countries have started coordinating visit logistics, and that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been tasked with identifying an appropriate date for the meeting.

Earlier, on January 8, Trump and Petro agreed to a face‑to‑face meeting at the White House during a phone call that followed a recent public dispute triggered by a US military operation in Venezuela. In the weeks preceding the call, President Trump had strongly criticised Petro and suggested the possibility of military action against Colombia, while Petro condemned US military actions in Venezuela and accused the United States of violating regional sovereignty.

The conversation itself marked a notable de‑escalation in rhetoric, with both leaders signalling a willingness to restore direct dialogue after months of strained relations.

The backdrop to this diplomatic shift includes the January 3 US military raid in Caracas, Venezuela, in which US forces conducted strikes against Venezuelan defenses and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. They were transported to New York to face federal charges related to drug trafficking and narcoterrorism. Trump defended the operation as law enforcement supported by military assets, with the goals of disrupting drug routes and securing access to Venezuelan oil.

Relations between Trump and Petro have been fraught in recent months, with Petro previously calling Trump “worse than Hitler” and a “pedophile clan,” while Trump at times described Petro in highly confrontational terms and suggested military intervention.

By Tamilla Hasanova