Colombian President Petro replies to Trump’s drug allegations

Colombia’s president Petro denied being involved in narcotrafficking, during a speech in Bogotá. His reply follows a recent quote from Donald Trump, accusing him of being a ‘drug leader‘. At the same time, the US administration released sanctions against the South American leader and his family.

On X, Gustavo Petro stated he had chosen lawyer Daniel Kovalik to defend him in this new case. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control just added his family to the Clinton List. In other words, this freezes their properties and financial assets under US jurisdiction. Furthermore, it bans local citizens from conducting business with them.

Why does the war on drugs target Gustavo Petro?

According to Donald Trump, Gustavo Petro is ‘an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs‘. The White House also accuses his counterpart of doing ‘nothing to stop it‘, denied by Petro. Consequently, Trump decided to end aid to Colombia. However, it is not clear if he is the sole decision maker on the matter.

Moreover, Donald Trump has been repeatedly spotted spreading fake news. He declared having solved 8 wars, which has been largely debunked. Fact-checkers also highlighted tens of thousands of other false and misleading claims from the billionaire.

Thus, it is not clear what Trump aims for with those assumptions. Especially when the medias widely view the war on drugs as a policy failure. Instead, harm reduction and legalization have proven their efficiency in public health and market regulation.

US Navy strengthens operations in the Caribbean Sea

Vehemence against Colombia is part of a broader targeting of the entire Caribbean Sea. There, the US Armed Forces continue to strike vessels suspected of transporting narcotics. The United Nations condemns the strategy, considered as ‘extrajudicial executions‘.

Despite UN warnings, the US Navy just deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier in the area. Powered by nuclear reactors, USS Gerald R. Ford may serve as a base for future attacks against South America.

Among the risks, land strikes may hit Venezuela. The Department of State also published a 50-million-dollar warrant aiming to capture Nicolas Maduro. U.S. executives accuse him of leading the Cartel of the Suns, but its existence is widely disputed.

Together, Colombia and Peru produce more than 85% of the coca leaves, according to the UNODC. The plant is essential to produce cocaine, a highly addictive stimulant. The drug transits to the US via Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela. But the latter’s involvement is minimal compared to the other two.

(source)