First Trump-Petro Call Amid Rising Strains

Tensions surged after Trump said a US operation in Colombia “sounds good to me,” and Petro rejected the claim and urged mobilization against US interference.

Amid rising tensions, Trump and Petro held a direct call, which Trump later called “a great honor,” praising the tone and expressing interest in a future meeting.

Trump also confirmed that arrangements are underway between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia’s foreign minister for a meeting in the White House.

Petro, for his part, said he requested the reactivation of direct communication channels between the two countries’ foreign ministries and presidential offices in order to facilitate dialogue between Colombia and the United States.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued on Monday a series of sharply worded statements rejecting accusations that seek to link him or Venezuelan leaders to drug trafficking, while forcefully condemning US military aggression, political intimidation, and renewed assertion of imperial control over Latin America.

In several posts published on X, Petro responded to remarks attributed to US President Donald Trump and to broader narratives circulating in Washington in the aftermath of the US aggression on Venezuela.

He argued that no Colombian investigation has shown evidence linking Maduro or First Lady Cilia Flores to drug trafficking.

Petro noted that Colombia’s judiciary functions independently of the executive branch and is largely influenced by political forces opposed to his government. Anyone genuinely seeking to understand the cocaine trade, he said, should consult Colombia’s court records rather than rely on politically motivated accusations.

He added that his own name has never appeared in narcotics-related cases over more than five decades, affirming that he “deeply rejects” uninformed and defamatory claims.