In response to a question from the American CBS network whether the trip was related to his desire to stop the war in Latin America, Petro said: “To stop the world war.” This came after Trump had previously announced that preparations were underway for a meeting between them at the White House soon.
This step comes in light of previous statements by Petro in which he revealed deep fears of possible American military intervention against his country and his fear that he would meet the fate of Maduro.
He told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that Trump told him during a personal phone call about his intention to carry out a military operation against Colombia, especially after the events in Venezuela, adding that the possibility of military intervention has now “frozen.”
This planned meeting comes in the wake of the US operation in Venezuela on January 3, which led to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and their transfer to New York to stand trial on charges related to “narco-terrorism.” Maduro and his wife have denied the charges.
This process led to the temporary transfer of power in Venezuela to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, and to international condemnation from several parties, including Russia, China, and North Korea, which considered the American action a violation of international law.
