Trump Invites Petro to White House After Call, With Joint Actions Against ELN Agreed

Overview

• Trump said preparations are underway for a meeting in Washington, with details handled by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia’s foreign minister, and no date announced.
• Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said both presidents committed to joint actions against the ELN and that Petro requested help to strike guerrilla positions along the Venezuela border.
• Benedetti noted ELN fighters often cross into Venezuela after clashes, reinforcing Bogotá’s push for coordinated pressure on the group’s rear areas.
• The outreach followed weeks of hostile rhetoric, including Trump’s public suggestion that action in Colombia “sounded good,” narcotics accusations, U.S. sanctions on Petro and relatives, and the revocation of Petro’s U.S. visa.
• In parallel, Petro spoke with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with both voicing concern over U.S. force in Venezuela, welcoming a plan to free political detainees, and noting Brazil’s shipment of 40 tons of medical supplies.