Phone call to Trump from Colombian President Petro! 'I look forward to meeting'

US President Donald Trump announced to the public that he had spoken on the phone with Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Sharing on Truth Social, Trump stated that the call took place to convey Petro's stance regarding the drug issue and other disagreements between the two countries. In his assessment of the conversation, Trump used the expressions, "I appreciated his call and his tone. I look forward to meeting with him in the near future."

Trump also shared that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio have begun contacts for a face-to-face meeting. Providing information about the location of the meeting, Trump said, "The meeting will take place in Washington, D.C., at the White House." However, no clear schedule was announced regarding the date of the meeting.

PETRO: WE WANT A NEW CHAPTER IN BILATERAL RELATIONS

Colombian President Gustavo Petro also confirmed the phone call. Speaking at a rally he attended in Bogota, Petro said, "We spoke on the phone for the first time since he (Trump) became President." Petro expressed that he had requested the re-establishment of dialogue between the two countries.

TRUMP'S PREVIOUS HARSH ACCUSATIONS

US President Trump had previously accused Petro of drug trafficking in statements he made in the past. In this context, Trump had used the expressions, "Colombia is run by a sick man who loves to produce cocaine and sell it to the US. Let me tell you this: He won't be able to do it for much longer." Trump had also said that a military intervention similar to that in Venezuela could be on the agenda for Colombia, stating, "An operation in Colombia sounds good."

HE HAD SAID "I WILL TAKE UP ARMS IF NECESSARY"

Gustavo Petro, on the other hand, had reacted harshly to these words from Trump. Emphasizing that they have made concrete progress in the fight against drugs, Petro had reminded that his government had seized record levels of cocaine. Warning the Trump administration, Petro stated that a possible military attack on Colombia would endanger the lives of children, and had used the expressions, "I am ready to take up arms to defend Colombia."