US maintains Colombia «failed demonstrably» in fighting drug trafficking – Colombia News

The United States President Donald Trump maintained that Colombia “failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to make substantial efforts to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements.”

In an annual reviews, Trump stressed that the South American country maintains its an unwilling drug trafficking country “solely due to the incompetence and chaos produced by the previous far-left government.”

“If, as expected, Colombia makes progress on aggressive coca eradication and dismantling its narcoterrorist networks over the coming year, I will consider lifting the country’s ‘failed demonstrably’ status,” said the US president.

President Abelardo de la Espriella “has pledged to lead an aggressive campaign against coca cultivation and cocaine production, which reached record levels under the failed socialist policies of his predecessor,” Gustavo Petro, according to Trump.

Colombia is poised to resume its place as our foremost security partner in the hemisphere, and the country’s military, police, prosecutors, and courts now finally have a worthy champion in President de la Espriella.

US President Donald Trump

De la Espriella, who took office in August, informally joined the US Government’s Shield of the Americas program in an attempt to increase cooperation between Trump’s conservative and far-right allies in the region.

As part of his counternarcotics efforts, the Colombian president tried to increase air strikes on so-called “narcoterrorist” groups, but was forced to stop this by a court to protect minor forced recruitment victims.

The National Police announced a pilot aerial fumigation program, but this was also suspended by a court because of health and environmental concerns.

The State Department vowed to seek $1 billion dollar in aid, but has yet to ask Congress for these funds while allegedly dealing with the world’s highest number of deaths caused by the consumption of illicit drugs.