Trump and Colombia’s Petro Hold Surprise Call on Drugs and Venezuela After Months of Bitter Personal and Diplomatic Attacks

U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro spoke by phone this week, marking an unexpected diplomatic turn in a relationship that has been increasingly hostile over drug policy and regional security.

“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,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, noting he

The call comes just days after Trump sharply escalated his rhetoric, accusing Petro of presiding over a country “very sick” with drug trafficking and alleging ties to cocaine production and export to the United States — claims vehemently denied by Colombia’s government.

Petro told supporters in Bogotá that the conversation included Venezuela, where U.S. forces recently captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a move that had already fueled tensions with Bogotá. Petro also accused opposition figures of inflaming relations with Washington by spreading misleading information.

Relations between Washington and Bogotá have deteriorated over the past year. The Trump administration revoked Petro’s visa, imposed sanctions on him and members of his circle, and decertified Colombia as a partner in the U.S.-led war on drugs, citing failures to curb illicit trafficking — a sharp break from decades of cooperation.
Reuters

Domestically in Colombia, Trump’s saber-rattling — including suggestions of possible U.S. military intervention — has ignited protests under chants of “Out with the Yanks,” reflecting broad public opposition to U.S. actions in Venezuela and threats toward Colombia.

Analysts see the phone call as a tentative step toward de-escalation, even as both leaders face domestic pressures. Petro must balance defending national sovereignty with avoiding a rupture in security cooperation, while Trump seeks to maintain a hard line on narcotics even as diplomatic channels reopen.