Trump challenges Colombia because he has not collaborated in the Drug War for the first time in almost 30 years, a stunning long -time ally

Although the Trump Administration decided that Colombia had not complying with its international opposition obligations, the Trump Administration gave abandonment of sanctions that would have caused major aid cuts, referring to the vital national interests of the United States.

Nonetheless, it is a significant step in one of the most stable allies in the United States in Latin America, which, according to analysts, could damage the economy and further prevent their efforts to restore security in the countryside.

President Gustavo Petro, who has said on several occasions that the whiskey kills more people than cocaine, complained about Trump’s decision at a televised cabinet meeting on Monday, saying that Colombia is punished after « dozens of police, soldiers and regular citizens trying to stop the co -host. »

« What we have done is not really important to Colombian citizens, » he told about the efforts of the anti -nation. « It prevents North American society from greasing its nose » in cocaine.

The United States recently added to the Colombian list known as Decertification, in 1997, when the country’s cartels – through the threat of violence and money – had poisoned much of the nation’s institutions.

« The decision is a boring tool and a huge annoying bilateral relationship that exceeds drug problems and complicates cooperation in many areas, » said Adam Isacson, a security researcher at the Latin American Washington office. « That’s why it is used so rarely. »

President at that time Ernesto Samper was credible Accusations of receiving illegal campaign sections Now the obsolete Cali cartel and the airplane he had placed in New York to attend the UN General Assembly session was found to carry 4 kilos of heroin.

A significant translation began as soon as Samper left the office. Consecutive US administrations and Republicans that democrats-to-departed billions of foreign help to Colombia to destroy illegal Coca plants, strengthen their armed forces against drug fuels and rebels Provide financial alternatives to poor farmers who are at the lowest of the cocaine industry.

Cocaine production rises

This collaboration, the rare success of the United States in Latin America, began to investigate the destruction of the antennas with Glyphosate with Glyphosate ten years ago. It followed the decision of the Colombia Supreme Court that the US -funded program was possibly harmful to the environment and farmers.

The 2016 Peace Treaty with Colombia’s revolutionary armed forces, the largest rebel group in the country, also committed to Colombia to restore punishment policies that were in the injection of agent orange orange during the Vietnam War for state construction, rural development and voluntary harvest replacement.

Since, cocaine production has risen rapidly. The Coco -dedicated Coca area of ​​Cocaine Coca has almost tripled almost over the last decade to a record 253,000 hectares in 2023, according to the latest available report of the UN Drug Drug and Crime Office. It is almost three times the size of New York.

In addition to production, drug scenes have so far risen to 654 tonnes this year. Colombia seized a record 884 tons last year.

But unlike previous governments, Cocan manual destruction crop Petroleum Leadership has hardly slowed down to 5,048 hectares this year – much less than 68,000 hectares, which have rooted in the last year of his conservative predecessor and well below the government’s own target of 30,000 hectares.

US policy critic

Petro, a former rebellion himself, has also hated US older officials by denying the US demands of donation and criticizing the robbery of the Trump administration and its efforts to combat drug trafficking in the neighboring Venezuela.

« During my administration, Colombia does not cooperate in the assassination, » Petro said on September 5, after the US Army made a deadly strike A A small Venezuela ship with a caribbean that Trump administration said to carry cocaine US

« Colombia’s failure to fulfill its drug control obligations over the past year is solely based on its political leadership, » Trump said in the presidential memorandum of the Congress. « I’m going to consider changing this name if the Colombian government starts more aggressive activities and reduce cocaine production and trafficking in cocaine, and to keep them from the production of responsible cocaine, including improved cooperation in colum’s criminal organizations. »

Under US law, the President must recognize the annual countries that have not fulfilled their obligations in accordance with international objections over the last 12 months.

In addition to Colombia, the Trump Administration listed four other countries in the country-Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma and Venezuela-23 in the largest major drug transit or drug production countries that have not fulfilled their international obligations. With the exception of Afghanistan, the White House decided that US help for these countries was vital to national interests and therefore save possible sanctions.

Venezuela’s redesign as a country that has not been able to combat a smug -smuggled drug from a neighboring country columbia, contrary to the background of the large US army structure that has already led to two deadly strikes on top Small Venezuela vessels that Trump administration said to carry cocaine US

« Nicolás Maduro, who is accused in Venezuela, is one of the world’s largest networks of cocaine trade in the world in the world’s largest cocaine trade networks, and the United States continues to try to get Maduro and others involved in their crimes, » Trump’s name said. « We also target Venezuela foreign terrorist organizations such as Tren de Aragu, and clean them from our country. »

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Suarez reports on Bogota, Colombia. AP writer Manuel Reeda participated in this Bogota report.

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