Trump Invites Colombian President To White House After Accusing Him Of Making 'Cocaine And Selling It To US'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) U.S. President Donald Trump struck a markedly different tone on Wednesday toward Colombian President Gustavo Petro, saying the two had a cordial phone conversation and that he had invited the South American leader to visit the White House, Reuters reported.

“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 posted on his social media site.“I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future.”

He wrote that the upcoming meeting would take place at the White House.

Trump called Colombia“sick”

This followed just days after Trump, commenting on a U.S. operation over the weekend to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, said that“Colombia is very sick too” and accused Petro of producing cocaine and selling it to the United States.

Reuters reported that in comments to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump added of Petro,“He's not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you.” Asked whether U.S. intervention was possible, Trump responded,”Sounds good to me.”

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Later Wednesday, addressing thousands of protesters that he had mobilized to rally against U.S. military threats, Petro said he had spoken with Trump for roughly one hour, according to the report.

“I talked about two things: Venezuela and the issue of drug trafficking,” he told the crowd in downtown Bogotá, where demonstrators had just minutes earlier chanted slogans against the United States at Petro's behest.

Here's what Petro said

Petro explained to the audience that Colombian politicians allegedly linked to narco-trafficking misled the U.S. president about Petro's record to turn Trump against him.

“Those (people) are responsible for this crisis - let's call it diplomatic for now, verbal for now - that has erupted between the U.S. and Colombia,” he said.

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Trump now suddenly warming to Petro is especially surprising since Colombia's president called the U.S. operation in Venezuela an“abhorrent” violation of Latin American sovereignty. He also suggested it was committed by“enslavers” and constituted a“spectacle of death” comparable to Nazi Germany's 1937 carpet bombing of Guernica, Spain, Reuters reported.

US-Colombia relations

Colombia has traditionally been one of the United States' closest allies in Latin America, playing a key role in Washington's counternarcotics efforts. For the past three decades, the U.S. has partnered with Colombia-the world's largest cocaine producer-to arrest drug traffickers, combat rebel groups, and support economic development in rural regions.

However, in the months leading up to Trump's recent conciliatory remarks, tensions between the two countries had been steadily increasing.

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The Trump administration imposed sanctions in October on Petro, his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade. Colombia is considered the epicentre of the world's cocaine trade, according to a report by Reuters.

Trump began his monthslong pressure campaign on Maduro by ordering dozens of lethal strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats launched from Venezuela in the Caribbean. He eventually expanded the operations to also target suspected vessels in the eastern Pacific that came from Colombia.

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The U.S. in September added Colombia, the top recipient of American assistance in the region, to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in almost 30 years. The designation led to a slashing of U.S. assistance to the country, Reuters reported.

“He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories," Trump said of Petro on Sunday. "He's not going to be doing it.”

Key Takeaways

• The U.S.-Colombia relationship is intricate and influenced by drug trafficking issues.
• Trump's invitation to Petro reflects a potential thawing of diplomatic tensions.
• The historical context of U.S. assistance to Colombia underscores the importance of collaboration in combating drug trade.

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