The Trump administration mentioned Monday that Colombia had “failed demonstrably” in its obligations to fight drug trafficking but the US will proceed to provide funding to the country.
Although the choice to “decertify” Colombia but proceed help avoids what consultants mentioned was the worst-case situation of chopping off tens of millions in funding, it’s still a big symbolic transfer.
It is probably going to additional hurt the already rocky relationship between Washington and Bogota at a time when the Trump administration says countertrafficking is a high precedence. The administration has militarized its response and performed two deadly strikes on alleged traffickers in worldwide waters round South America in the previous a number of weeks.
The presidential willpower, launched Monday evening, mentioned that though Colombia has “failed demonstrably” over the previous 12 months, US help to Colombia “is vital to the national interests of the United States.” It blamed the de-certification on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump.
While Petro has referred to as for his country to create “peaceful alternatives” to coca-cultivation slightly than prosecuting farmers and small-scale traffickers, the Trump administration has ratcheted up its “war” against the traffickers, designating quite a few Latin American cartels and legal organizations as international terrorist organizations.
“In Colombia, coca cultivation and cocaine production have surged to all-time records under President Gustavo Petro, and his failed attempts to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the crisis,” the willpower mentioned.
“Colombia’s security institutions and municipal authorities continue to show skill and courage in confronting terrorist and criminal groups, and the United States values the service and sacrifice of their dedicated public servants across all levels of government,” it mentioned. “The failure of Colombia to meet its drug control obligations over the past year rests solely with its political leadership.”
“I will consider changing this designation if Colombia’s government takes more aggressive action to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine production and trafficking, as well as hold those producing, trafficking, and benefiting from the production of cocaine responsible, including through improved cooperation with the United States to bring the leaders of Colombian criminal organizations to justice,” it mentioned.
This is a growing story and will be up to date.
Andrea Gomez and Fernando Ramos contributed reporting