Colombia and the United States agreed on Thursday to create a working group to resolve the differences that both governments have on the extradition policy of the Executive of Gustavo Petro.
At the end of his official visit to the United States, Justice Minister Néstor Osuna explained at a press conference in Washington that the group will be based in Bogotá and that among other matters, it will address “critical cases that could arise” in terms of extraditions.
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Petro has announced that an eventual agreement with the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN) could suspend the extraditions of its members to the United States in the same way that happened with the extinct FARC, said the minister.
The United States has also expressed concern about the possibility that Colombia could block extraditions. of drug lords.
For the moment, Osuna affirmed, “there is no case in this regard”, since the Petro government continues to authorize extraditions, but “it is better to be prepared”, added the minister, who wants to avoid this matter being “traumatic” for the relations of both countries.
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In any case, Osuna was “very satisfied” with the conversations he had with senior US government officials, who attended him with “enormous receptivity”, even greater than expected.
The minister stated that from the Government of Joe Biden “never” expressed concern about the eradication of coca crops in Colombia, where Petro is committed to a new comprehensive strategy to combat drug trafficking that does not focus only on the destruction of plantations.
Osuna claimed that the fight against drug trafficking “must change” because the policies applied so far in coordination with the United States “have not produced the results that were expected.”
He opted for a “stronger collaboration” in the seizure of drugs by sea and river, in addition to the fight against asset laundering and money laundering.
And he asked the United States to evaluate the results of the anti-drug policy through “much more significant” indices than the number of hectares of crops eradicated, used up to now.
“The skeptical voices of mistrust of the US government (towards Colombia) were unfounded and have been dispelled with this visit,” he said.
