In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to host Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House following a contentious phone conversation marked by mutual threats and accusations. The development comes amid heightened regional instability following a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and significant casualties.
Trump’s characterization of the Colombian leader as ‘a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States’ during remarks aboard Air Force One stands in stark contrast to his subsequent description of their conversation as a ‘Great Honor’ on his Truth Social platform. This diplomatic whiplash underscores the volatile nature of U.S.-Colombian relations under both administrations.
The backdrop to this diplomatic confrontation includes Saturday night’s raid on Caracas, which Venezuelan officials claim resulted in over 100 fatalities—substantially higher than initial reports of 55 casualties among Venezuelan and Cuban soldiers. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed the revised death toll on Wednesday, while interim president Delcy Rodríguez condemned the operation as an unprecedented ‘stain on our relations.’
Central to the dispute is the ongoing drug trade conflict. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Petro’s administration in October 2026, alleging catastrophic failures in curbing cocaine production that has ‘exploded to the highest rate in decades.’ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asserted that Colombian cartels are ‘flourishing’ under Petro’s leadership, flooding American markets with narcotics.
Petro vehemently countered these allegations, emphasizing his decades-long anti-trafficking efforts and claiming successful containment of coca crop expansion. The Colombian leader issued a stark warning via social media platform X, threatening that his nation would ‘take up arms’ against any U.S. military action, metaphorically invoking the ‘people’s jaguar’ being unleashed if Maduro remains detained.
Beyond narcotics, energy resources loom large in the geopolitical standoff. Both Colombia and Venezuela possess substantial oil reserves, with the U.S. announcing indefinite control over Venezuelan oil sales while preparing to roll back global market restrictions. Rodríguez notably left the door open for beneficial energy relations despite condemning Maduro’s capture.
The scheduled White House meeting, to be arranged by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombian counterparts, represents a potential diplomatic off-ramp amid escalating threats and accusations. However, Trump’s earlier warning for Petro to ‘watch his ass’ suggests the relationship remains precariously balanced between confrontation and negotiation.