Trump and Colombian President Petro held a phone call amid heightened tensions

(Patria) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro held a phone call on Wednesday afternoon and discussed relations between the two countries, both said, amid heightened tensions between Washington and Bogota, Reuters reported.

This is the first phone call between the two presidents since Trump said on Sunday that a U.S. military operation targeting the Colombian government "sounds good".

"It was a great honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation with drugs and other disagreements we have had. I appreciate his call and tone and look forward to meeting him in the near future," Trump wrote on social media.

Trump added that "proper arrangements" were being made for a meeting in Washington between him and Petro, although he did not indicate when the meeting might take place.

"We spoke by phone for the first time since he became president," Petro told supporters gathered at a rally in Bogota to celebrate Colombia's sovereignty, adding that he had requested the resumption of dialogue between the two countries.

A source from Petro's office told Reuters that the call was "cordial" and "respectful".

Relations between Trump and Petro have been cold since the Republican returned to the White House.
Trump has repeatedly accused Petro's administration, without evidence, of allowing a constant flow of cocaine into the United States, and on Sunday called Petro a "sick man".
In October, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Petro, accusing him of allowing the spread of illegal drug trafficking in the Andean nation.

Colombia and Petro have repeatedly rejected Trump's accusations.

Petro has loudly condemned Trump administration strikes across the Pacific and Caribbean, which Washington claims are aimed at vessels suspected of drug trafficking.

Trump's administration has carried out more than thirty strikes on suspected drug vessels since September, in a campaign that has killed at least 110 people.