Trump set to welcome Colombian president to White House for talks

President Donald Trump is set to welcome Colombian president Gustavo Petro to the White House on Tuesday for talks just weeks after threatening military action against the South American country and accusing the leader of pumping cocaine into the United States, Azernews reports via The Guardian.

US administration officials say the meeting will focus on regional security cooperation and counternarcotics efforts, AP reported.

And Trump on Monday suggested that Petro - who has continued to criticize Trump and the US operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro - is more willing to work with his administration to stem the flow of illegal drugs from Colombia.

“Somehow after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice,” Trump told reporters. “He changed his attitude very much.”

However, in recent days, Petro has continued to criticize the US president, calling Trump an “accomplice to genocide” in the Gaza Strip, while asserting that the capture of Maduro was a kidnapping.

And ahead of his departure for Washington, Petro called on Colombians to take to the streets of Bogotá during the White House meeting.