The Rosa Villavicencio Chancellor EFE said this Friday that United States anti -drug policy “It has failed“And he urged to change itafter Donald Trump’s government retired Colombia from the list of countries that in the last year they fulfilled in the fight against drug trafficking.
“The drug policy of the United States has failed because it base it only on eradication has been a historical error because it is eradicated, but the number of hectares cultivated is doubled“Coca, he said.
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Villavicencio, who will travel to New York on Saturday with the delegation that will accompany the President Gustavo Petro in the UN General Assemblyhe said that this week he met in Bogotá with the Head of the US diplomatic mission, John McNamarawho has described as “delicate“The moment of the bilateral relationship.
“We have spoken quite clearly about our position and our rejection of the decision. Surely we will have to keep talking, but at this time because there is this situation in which there is a very fair anger and they will also have to consider the change of their drug policy“Villavicencio said.
Rosa Villavicencio Chancellor
The chancellor added that Colombia feels “nonconformity and bewilderment“Because their achievements or the human cost of the fight against drug trafficking are not recognized, while consuming countries do not make equivalent efforts.
(You can read: Investment and debt, fronts at risk due to desertification debate).
The meeting occurred after Washington’s announcement of ‘Descertify’ to Colombiaan evaluation that indicates to the nations that according to the US. UU. They do not do enough against drug trafficking and that to the Andean country, the world producer of cocaine, did not apply since 1997.
Despite this decision that Petro described as “An insult“And a”instrument of domination and power“, The White House granted an exemption that avoided cuts to Colombiaalleging national interests.
Shared responsibility
Since he assumed in August 2022, Petro has changed the anti -drug struggle approach and suspended forced coca eradication, cocaine base.
Villavicencio explained that the objective of the government is that the communities themselves participate in the replacement of illegal crops through agreements that allow them to voluntarily replace coca with commercial agricultural products, so that at the same time they strengthen their economy and the country’s food sovereignty.
(Also read: ‘I don’t threaten me, here I wait for it,’ Petro to Trump after church to Colombia).
“The drug demand is due to the consumption that occurs in other regions and sub -regions of the world, since that shared responsibility with them must be sought“The Chancellor stressed.
Coca
Colombia’s relationship with the US, its main commercial partner, has suffered shocks since last January when a diplomatic crisis was extended by Petro’s decision not to allow the country of two airplanes with deportees from USA.worthy“
After Trump’s threat to respond to that challenge with the imposition of tariffs on Colombian products, the waters returned to their channel, but throughout the year more frictions between the two governments have emerged due to political and ideological differences.
EFE
