Colombian Chancellor, Rosa Villavicencio, criticized the “excessive” United States Military Presence in Caribbean Waters And said that “nothing has to do with the fight against drug trafficking“, in an interview with the agency AFP.
The hard reaction by one of Washington’s oldest allies in Latin America It occurs in the midst of the imposing military deployment ordered by Donald Trump near Venezuela to face drug trafficking.
(See: Venezuela shows the teeth: he revealed the weapons with which he would respond to the US.).
“Of course, Venezuela is worried, as the entire region is, about the possibility of an intervention. We defend the sovereignty of the region (…) That is why this excessive military presence does not correspond“said the chancellor.
Villavicencio (63 years), economist by profession, She is the fourth Foreign Minister of the Government of Gustavo Petro.
The chief of the portfolio rejected flat Trump’s claims about F-35 hunting aircraft, seven ships and a nuclear propulsion submarine that, according to him, are there to combat drug trafficking.
The United States claims to have eliminated three vessels that allegedly trafficked drugs from Venezuela, in attacks that left 14 dead.
(See: The Senate declared a transnational criminal organization to the Los Soles cartel).
“Bombing of vessels (…) It seems to us that it is not the way from the point of view of legality“He added about US attacks, an action also questioned by the United Nations.
Villavicencio believes that the suspects had to be captured and not killed.
Rosa Villavicencio, Chancellor.
Presidency
‘Disproportionate’
The United States is the main commercial and military ally of Colombia, But since the arrival of Trump and Petro, relationships have been broken by issues such as migration and tariffs.
Before an eventual US military intervention, The Foreign Minister said that Colombia resorted to international instances.
“What we see is a disproportionate military presence in the region that has nothing to do with the fight against drug trafficking“, said.
(See: Trump assures that there were three ships that the USA demolished in the Caribbean, not two).
Villavicencio said that Colombia will defend Venezuelan sovereignty, although “Do not recognize the government“by Nicolás Maduro after his third questioned victory in July 2024.
THE INTERVIEW WITH THE AGENCY AFP It occurs in a tense diplomatic moment to which the United States’s decision is added to get Colombia out of the list of allied countries in the anti -drug fight.
The South American country is the largest cocaine producer in the world and the United States the main consumer.
Venezuela and the United States.
Canva
‘Political decision’
On Monday, September 15, the Trump government considered Insufficient the efforts of the Petro Executive against drug trafficking.
“It is clear that it was a political decision, to condemn the president“Villavicencio said and labeled the measure of” unfair. “
But Washington made an exception and will not cease for now economic or military aid to fight the narco. With an annual financing estimated at 380 million dollars, its cut would have meant a hard blow to Bogotá.
In order to measure, Colombia announced the end of the purchase of weapons from the United States and assured that its anti -drug policy “has failed.”
“The social cost for us is very high and we do not see that (United States) does anything on the consumption side“said the specialist in international cooperation and migration.
(See: ‘Legitimate defense’: Nicolás Maduro justifies a possible military response to the US.).
Villavicencio proposes that consuming countries “pay a debt” and They contribute to repair environmental damage in producing countries.
The head of diplomacy assured that the relations between the historical allies “are not broken”, but complained about the constant “disadvantage” of Colombia against the Trump administration and asked for a dialogue “of you to you.”
Colombia has record of illicit crops, with 253,000 hectares in 2023, according to the UN, and peace dialogues with the main illegal groups are stagnant.
As descertification is a political decision, “We are not going to change our policy, we will continue doing what we are doing because it is effective“Villavicencio insisted.
AFP
