US President Donald Trump has said he will meet his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro at the White House in the 'near future', just days after remarking that an operation targeting Colombia 'sounds good'.
The US seized the president of neighbouring Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, in a raid on Caracas on Saturday night.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated on Wednesday that the death toll from the raid was much higher than initially reported, with over 100 people killed.
Local media had reported that 23 Venezuelan and 32 Cuban soldiers died in the U.S. forces' storming of Maduro's compound.
During a call with President Trump, Petro discussed 'the situation of drugs and other disagreements', leading to Trump appreciating Petro's 'tone'. However, earlier in the week, Trump had warned Petro to 'watch his ass'.
Colombia, a key hub for the region's drug trade, is rich in resources including oil, gold, and coal.
The US had stated it would control Venezuelan oil sales 'indefinitely,' preparing to relax restrictions on the country's crude in global markets.
After the operation in Venezuela, Trump called Petro a 'sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States,' suggesting Petro wouldn't be able to continue this practice for long.
In a defensive response, Petro warned that Colombia would 'take up arms' if the US initiated military action against his country, stressing the potential backlash from the Colombian people.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump later referred to his conversation with Petro as a 'Great Honor', indicating that arrangements for Petro's visit to Washington would be coordinated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Colombian counterpart.
This week, the US imposed sanctions on Petro, blaming him for failing to curb drug trafficking, stating that cocaine production in Colombia had surged since he took office in 2022.
In the face of these accusations, Petro defended his long-term fight against drug trafficking, claiming his administration had managed to curb coca crop expansion.
Meanwhile, Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez condemned the US operation as a major stain on bilateral relations, though she expressed openness to beneficial energy cooperation.
