The United States has designated Colombia as a country that has “demonstrably failed” to meet its obligations regarding drug trafficking control but has not cut off U.S. aid. Each year, the U.S. government assesses various countries for their cooperation with counternarcotic efforts, and those that fall short risk losing funding.
On Monday, the Trump administration indicated that cocaine production in Colombia reached historically high levels under President Gustavo Petro, a claim Petro disputed. In response, Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti announced that Colombia would cease purchasing weapons from the U.S.
Colombia joined Afghanistan, Bolivia, Myanmar, and Venezuela on the U.S. list of countries that did not meet drug trafficking targets. This is the first time since 1997 that Colombia has been included in this designation. The decision may further complicate relations between Petro’s left-wing administration and the Trump government.
President Petro addressed the allegations on social media and noted that the increase in coca bush cultivation, which serves as the primary ingredient for cocaine, had occurred during the presidency of his predecessor, Iván Duque, who served from 2018 to 2022. A recent survey by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicated a 10% increase in coca cultivation in 2023, with updates for 2024 expected next month.
According to Colombian government figures, security forces seized a record 1,764 tonnes of cocaine from August 2022 to November 2024. Petro argued that to reduce coca cultivation, demand for cocaine in the U.S. and Europe must decline. Conversely, the U.S. administration attributed the crisis to Petro’s peace negotiations with armed groups involved in drug trafficking, asserting that the failures in drug control were primarily due to political leadership.
The U.S. report acknowledges the efforts of Colombia’s security forces but emphasizes that Colombia’s recertification is contingent upon taking decisive actions to reduce cocaine production and trafficking.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78n0jmplmro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss