Senator Scott Says Colombia Risks 'Terrible Consequences' if Petro Doesn't Cooperate With U.S. on Anti-drug Efforts

U.S. Senator Rick Scott has warned that Colombiacould face "terrible consequences" if the government of President Gustavo Petro does not align with Washington's anti-narcotics efforts.

In an interview with Colombian magazine Semana published over the weekend, the Florida Republican criticized Petro's policies, saying they have failed to reduce drug production:

"The president you currently have is terrible and is not reducing the numbers in drug production, and that's a problem, because people here in the United States lose their lives as a result of those actions"

Scott then told Semana that continued alignment with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega could further strain relations and that "U.S. funding for Colombia's counternarcotics programs could be cut, foreign investment would shrink, and tourists are going to stop traveling to Colombia."

"If Petro continues on this path, we will have to reconsider, because dollars from our government will no longer flow in the same way to Colombia," Scott continued. He then stressed that even though both countries have "a longstanding relationship", if Petro doesn't change course, "Colombians would face terrible consequences."

Scott also dismissed Petro's alternative development approach to replace forced eradication of coca crops. "Any program Petro has that claims to reduce drug production has not worked," he said, adding that drug output continues to grow and directly impacts the U.S.

Beyond Colombia, Scott called for increasing the U.S. reward for Maduro's capture from $50 million to $100 million, describing the Venezuelan leader as "the head of a global drug cartel." He argued Maduro's "days are numbered" and said Washington should ensure greater security and democracy in Latin America.

Petro, for his part, has pushed back strongly against U.S. claims that Maduro heads the so-called Cartel of the Suns, going as far as to label the allegations as "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."

"Right now, the government of Colombia, led by Petro, is not a government that represents the values of the United States," Scott told Semana.