Trump announces February White House talks with Colombian President

Trump announced the upcoming meeting in a post on his Truth Social platform. He expressed confidence that the talks would benefit both Colombia and the United States, while stressing that the flow of cocaine and other drugs into the U.S. “must be stopped.”

“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,” reads the post.

The planned talks come after a direct phone call between the two leaders earlier this week, which Petro later described as an important new channel of communication. According to Al Jazeera, the Colombian president said the call helped ease tensions that had escalated rapidly in recent days and allowed both sides to refocus on cooperation, particularly on combating drug trafficking.

Speaking to Al Jazeera in Bogota, Petro said his government has continued to work with Washington on narcotics control “despite insults and threats.” He underlined the importance of maintaining open dialogue with the U.S., noting that previous communication had often been filtered through unofficial channels, which he said were mediated by political ideology and his opposition.

Relations between the two leaders deteriorated sharply after Trump accused Petro, without providing evidence, of being involved in cocaine production and publicly suggested the possibility of military action against Colombia. Petro responded by saying he would defend his country if threatened.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Washington could take action against Colombia’s leadership and said Cuba appeared vulnerable after recent developments in Venezuela.