BOGOTA (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said in a determination on Monday that Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia and Venezuela were to be added to a list of countries that the United States believes have “failed demonstrably” to uphold their obligations under counternarcotics agreements during the past 12 months, a decision that could affect funding for the named countries.
“I hereby designate Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to both adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements,” Trump’s declaration read.
“In Colombia, coca cultivation and cocaine production have surged to all-time records under President Gustavo Petro, and his failed attempts to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the crisis,” Trump’s declaration said, though he thanked Colombian security personnel for their “courage and skill.”
“The failure of Colombia to meet its drug control obligations over the past year rests solely with its political leadership. I will consider changing this designation if Colombia’s government takes more aggressive action to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine production and trafficking,” the declaration added.
Trump had previously threatened to “decertify” Petro’s drug containment efforts as ineffective and Republican lawmakers have expressed support for sharp cuts to non-military aid for the country.
Colombian President Gustavo lamented the decision in a video message, which he said came after dozens of deaths of Colombian police, soldiers and civilians fighting to stop trafficking. “What we are doing does not really have to do with the Colombian people,” he said. “Rather, it is to stop American society from getting their noses dirty from the desire to work, work, work,” he said, in an apparent reference to the stimulant effects of cocaine.
Colombia’s ambassador to Washington, Daniel Garcia-Pena, told reporters last week that funding from the U.S. had already been hit by the dismantling of USAID and that the U.S. could choose to cut about $100 million of programs not focused on drug trafficking if Trump decides to decertify Colombia.
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Sarah Morland)
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