Colombian President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump had their first direct phone call last night, Wednesday, January 7, and agreed to a State visit by Petro to Washington D.C. The talk, which local sources say lasted around 45 minutes, comes at the height of the tension between the two countries. El Espectador reported that at the core of the conversation between both heads of state were the US’s operation in Venezuela, attacks against drug cartels, and the conversation Petro and the US’s interim ambassador had yesterday.
In the aftermath of the call, President Trump posted a statement on his social network, Truth social saying, “It was a great honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of the drugs and other disagreements that we had.”
The US head of state continued by saying, “I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future. Arrangements are being made between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Foreign Minister of Colombia. The meeting will take place in the White House in Washington, D.C.”
First call between Petro and Trump about heightened tensions
The call, which lasted around 45 minutes, took place at 5:00 pm local time, moments before President Petro made his way to Bogota’s Plaza de Bolivar to deliver a speech in front of thousands of protesters. Local media reported that Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti were present during the call.
Since President Trump came into office, both he and President Petro have constantly clashed through unofficial channels of communication. The first talk between the two heads of state comes in the immediate aftermath of the United States’ capture of Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro.
The operation has been at the center of the latest tensions between Petro and Trump. President Petro has starkly criticized the operation, as he claims it threatens the peace and stability in the region.
Related: Colombia’s Petro Proposes Tripartite Talks With Venezuela and US.