Petro Says 'It's the U.S. Government That Should Be Decertified' After Trump Drops Colombia as Anti-Drug Ally

Colombian President Gustavo Petro sharply criticized Washington on Monday after the Trump administration formally decertified Colombia in the fight against drugs, citing record coca cultivation and cocaine production during his administration.

"We will not be under blackmail. I am not worried about U.S. aid," Petro said during a Cabinet meeting at the Casa de Nariño. He argued that the financial impact was overstated, comparing the $450 million potentially at stake to fluctuations in debt interest payments. "That can be lost in a second," he said.

Petro added that the decision ends U.S. pressure to shift Colombia from voluntary to forced eradication of coca crops, as NTN24 reports. "No more dead police," he declared.

Turning the accusation back on Washington, Petro said, "it's the U.S. government that should be decertified. What has it done to stop the consumption of fentanyl and cocaine? Let them show me their resources to see if they are more or less than ours."

The decertification, while symbolic, places Colombia on a list of nations deemed uncooperative in anti-narcotics efforts. The Trump administration, however, issued a waiver that prevents immediate cuts to assistance, reflecting the longstanding but strained security partnership between the two countries.

Colombia remains the world's largest producer of cocaine, with coca cultivation reaching 253,000 hectares by the end of 2023, according to the United Nations. Since 2013, the area under coca leaf has increased fivefold, as El País points out. Forced eradication has fallen sharply, raising U.S. concerns, though Petro's government has emphasized record seizures of nearly 900 tons in 2024.

Relations between Trump and Petro have been tense throughout the year as the Colombian has pushed back strongly against U.S. claims that Maduro heads the so-called Cartel of the Suns, saying the allegations are "a lie like Iraq's weapons of mass destruction" and warning that an invasion of Venezuela would drag Colombia into conflict. Earlier this month, Petro also said U.S. warships near Venezuela risk creating "a Syria-like situation."