"The United States is decertifying us after dozens of deaths, the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, lamented during a Cabinet meeting, while still awaiting the official announcement by U.S. officials. However, the Trump administration issued a waiver of sanctions that would have triggered major aid cuts. Still, Petro, who is already under enormous pressure to show results on that front, must now deal with the consequences of this new stigma in the final stretch of his term."
"Colombia is by far the world's leading producer of cocaine, but it has also been a close ally of the United States, which only put it on the list of uncooperative nations during the days of former president Ernesto Samper (1994-1998). Illicit crops in the Andean country remain at unprecedented levels and show no signs of reaching a ceiling. By the end of 2023, crops reached 253,000 hectares, according to the United Nations Integrated Illicit Crop Monitoring System (SIMCI)."
"Although the certification process is based on clear criteria, the decision is made by the U.S. president and is deeply influenced by political and diplomatic considerations, Elizabeth Dickinson, an analyst with the International Crisis Group (ICG), recently explained. Previous administrations have repeatedly certified Colombia despite concerns about insufficient compliance because, in their view, maintaining close cooperation with Bogota was more favorable to Washington."
The United States added Colombia to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war, triggering a formal decertification while issuing a waiver that avoids immediate major aid cuts. President Gustavo Petro lamented the decision and faces heightened political pressure to produce results before his term ends. Colombia remains the world's leading cocaine producer, with illicit coca cultivation rising to 253,000 hectares by the end of 2023 and showing no signs of slowing. The U.S. certification decision, though based on set criteria, is influenced by political and diplomatic considerations, and past administrations have sometimes prioritized bilateral cooperation over strict compliance.
Read at english.elpais.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]