US President Donald Trump says Colombia’s leftist leader Gustavo Petro will visit the White House in February, signalling a diplomatic thaw.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced that Colombian President Gustavo Petro will visit the White House in February.
Trump expressed optimism for bilateral ties in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February,” Trump wrote.
He added that he was sure it would work out well for both nations, but insisted that “cocaine and other drugs must be STOPPED from coming into the United States.”
The planned visit signals a diplomatic thaw after a period of significant tension.
Trump had threatened Petro just days earlier following the US operation that removed Venezuela’s leader.
The change in approach came after the two leaders spoke by telephone on Wednesday.
Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president and a close US ally, has been a vocal critic of Trump.
The US imposed sanctions on Petro in October over alleged non-cooperation on drug policy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly called Petro a “lunatic.”
Trump’s administration also briefly suspended visas for Colombians after Petro resisted US deportation flights.
The reconciliation mirrors Trump’s earlier mending of ties with Brazil’s left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
