Trump flips tone, praises Colombia President after fiery cocaine jibe

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 08, Jan 2026, 12:05 pm IST | UPDATED: 08, Jan 2026, 12:05 pm IST

In a dramatic shift just days after launching sharp attacks against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, US President Donald Trump has now taken a noticeably softer line. Trump revealed on Wednesday night that he had a friendly telephonic conversation with Petro and even invited him to the White House. The turnaround comes days after Trump had publicly accused Petro of "making cocaine and selling it to the United States" while commenting on the US military operation in Venezuela. At the time, he had also remarked, "Colombia is very sick too" and hinted at a possible American intervention by saying, "Sounds good to me".

However, he changed his tone abruptly on Wednesday. Posting on TRUTH Social, Trump wrote, "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." He further added, "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, DC."

The sudden shift signals a possible reset in Washington's diplomatic approach towards Bogota after a week of heightened tensions. With Trump publicly signalling openness to dialogue, the upcoming White House meeting could determine how both countries navigate contentious issues tied to narcotics, security and regional politics.

Trump on Colombia

Earlier this week, after capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flying him to New York City to face charges for narco terrorism, Trump had broadened his comments to other Latin American nations and specifically targeted Colombia and its President Gustavo Petro. He had accused Colombia of being "run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States." Trump added that "he is not going to be doing it for very long", referring to Petro who has often criticised him.

The US President had also claimed that Petro has cocaine mills and cocaine factories. These statements come at a time when Washington and Bogota are already facing friction over US boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which have increased pressure on Colombia -- a major hub in the region's drug trade. Asked whether the United States could conduct an operation targeting Colombia, Trump responded, "It sounds good to me."