Translated with AI
Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed he received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to a meeting at the White House. The Colombian leader expressed hope that the upcoming dialogue between Bogotá and Washington will help prevent a world war, Interfax reports.
"To stop a world war," Petro said in an interview with CBS News, answering a question about the purpose of his trip to the United States. He added that any action by the United States against Colombia could lead to civil war in the country and provoke hostility toward the United States. "This would undoubtedly lead to civil war, as well as hostility toward the United States. (…) This would be a stupid policy," the Colombian leader emphasized.
Speaking about the situation in Venezuela, Petro noted that if US control over the country lasts more than a year, it could cause serious social upheaval in Venezuelan society. "And there's an important point that concerns not so much Venezuela itself, but the idea that the United States has a right to the resources of not only Latin America but the entire world," he added.
Donald Trump previously announced that he would host the President of Colombia in the first week of February. "I look forward to meeting with President Gustavo Petro of Colombia at the White House the first week of February," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.
Relations between Petro and Trump have been tense in recent months. The Colombian leader has repeatedly criticized his American counterpart's actions, while Trump has accused Petro of de facto involvement in drug trafficking from Colombia to the United States. Following the recent arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump warned that the Colombian president should also exercise caution.
