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WASHINGTON — <\/span>WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 President Donald Trump<\/a> is set to welcome Colombian President Gustavo Petro<\/a> to the White House on Tuesday for talks<\/a> only weeks after threatening military action<\/a> against the South American country and accusing the leader of pumping cocaine into the United States.<\/p>\n U.S. administration officials say the meeting will focus on regional security cooperation and counternarcotics efforts. And Trump on Monday suggested that Petro \u2014 who has continued to criticize Trump and the U.S. operation to capture<\/a> Venezuela\u2019s Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a> \u2014 seems more willing to work with his administration to stem the flow of illegal drugs from Colombia.<\/p>\n \u201cSomehow after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice,\u201d Trump told reporters. \u201cHe changed his attitude very much.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet, bad blood between the leaders overshadows the sit-down<\/a>, even as Trump sought to downplay any friction on the eve of the visit.<\/p>\n The conservative Trump and leftist Petro are ideologically far apart, but both leaders share a tendency for verbal bombast and unpredictability. That sets the stage for a White House visit with an anything-could-happen vibe. <\/p>\n In recent days, Petro has continued poking at the U.S. president, calling Trump an \u201caccomplice to genocide\u201d in the Gaza Strip, while asserting that the capture of Maduro was a kidnapping.<\/p>\n And ahead of his departure for Washington, Petro called on Colombians to take to the streets of Bogot\u00e1 during the White House meeting.<\/p>\n Historically, Colombia has been a U.S. ally. For the past 30 years, the U.S. has worked closely with Colombia, the world\u2019s largest producer of cocaine<\/a>, to arrest drug traffickers<\/a>, fend off rebel groups<\/a> and boost economic development in rural areas.<\/p>\n But relations between the leaders have been strained by Trump\u2019s massing U.S. forces in the region for unprecedented deadly military strikes targeting suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. At least 126<\/a> people have been killed in 36 known strikes. <\/p>\n In October, the Trump administration announced it was imposing sanctions<\/a> on Petro<\/a>, his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade.<\/p>\n The Treasury Department leveled the penalties against Petro; his wife, Veronica del Socorro Alcocer Garcia; his son, Nicolas Fernando Petro Burgos; and Colombian Interior Minister Armando Alberto Benedetti.<\/p>\n The sanctions, which had to be waived to allow Petro to travel to Washington this week, came after the U.S. administration in September announced it was adding Colombia<\/a> to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in three decades.<\/p>\n Then came the audacious military operation last month to capture Maduro<\/a> and his wife to face federal drug conspiracy charges, a move that Petro has forcefully denounced. Following Maduro\u2019s ouster, Trump put Colombia on notice, and ominously warned Petro he could be next.<\/p>\n Colombia is \u201crun by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States,\u201d Trump said of Petro last month. \u201cAnd he\u2019s not gonna be doing it very long, let me tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n But a few days later, tensions eased somewhat after a call between the leaders. Trump said Petro in their hourlong conversation explained \u201cthe drug situation and other disagreements.\u201d And Trump extended an invitation to Petro for the White House visit.<\/p>\n Trump on a couple of occasions has used the typically scripted leaders’ meetings to deliver stern rebukes to counterparts in front of the press.<\/p>\n Trump and Vice President JD Vance lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/a> in February for showing insufficient gratitude for U.S. support of Ukraine. Trump also used a White House meeting in May to forcefully confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa,<\/a>accusing the country,<\/a> with reporters present, of failing to address Trump\u2019s baseless claim of the systematic killing of white farmers.<\/p>\n It was not clear that the meeting between Trump and Petro would include a portion in front of cameras.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n