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Last week, Washington Post published a report explaining that the recently elected government of Gustavo Petro is considering legalizing cocaine in Colombia. In the report, the media highlighted that Petro’s decision would also affect the United States.
“It’s a radical turn in this historically conservative country, one that could upend its long-standing — and lucrative — counternarcotics relationship with the United States. U.S. officials past and present are signaling concern; the drug was responsible for an estimated 25,000 overdose deaths in the United States last year,” writes WaPo.
In light of the situation, several politicians expressed their concern. Republican María Elvira Salazar argued that the measure worries Americans not only because of Colombia’s shift to the left but also because it would affect American society.
“Petro has not been in power for a month, and already we are all worried. Now he is likely to legalize cocaine, which will affect us here in Miami,” wrote Salazar on Twitter.
Salazar also sent a message of support to Colombians. “I join the Colombians in my District to denounce Petro’s madness, God bless my brothers and sisters in Colombia!”
Petro no lleva un mes en el poder y ya nos preocupa a todos. Ahora es probable que legalice la cocaína, lo que nos afectará aquí en Miami.
Me uno a los colombianos en mi Distrito para denunciar las locuras de Petro. ¡Que Dios bendiga a mis hermanos de #Colombia!🙏🏼🇨🇴🇺🇸
— María Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) August 28, 2022
Concern over possible legalization of cocaine
But the concern was not only within the Republican Party. Democratic Senator Annette Taddeo said the move would be a threat to Colombia but also to regional security in the Western Hemisphere. “I stand with the Colombian community in FL-27 and around the world, who are rightly concerned about Petro’s efforts to decriminalize cocaine,” Taddeo said.
“This decision could threaten security and stability in Colombia and regional security in the western hemisphere,” she added.
Estoy con la comunidad colombiana en FL-27 y en todo el mundo, que con razón estamos preocupados por los esfuerzos de Petro para despenalizar la cocaína.
Esta decisión podría amenazar la seguridad y la estabilidad en Colombia y la seguridad regional en el hemisferio occidental.
— Annette Taddeo (She/Her/Ella) (@Annette_Taddeo) August 28, 2022
Amid the criticism, Colombia’s Justice Minister Néstor Osuna claimed that the government’s drug strategy had been misinterpreted. “Cocaine is not going to be legalized. If there has been any information that could have been understood in that sense, it must be clarified, cocaine is not going to be legalized in this government,” Osuna noted.
However, he commented that Colombia’s strategy on this issue would change. “We are going to try to focus the prosecution, the police and judicial apparatus of the state on the structures of drug trafficking, mafias, money laundering, and we are going to focus on public health and the economic survival of consumers and peasant growers.”
Williams Perdomo es periodista y escritor, especializado en las fuentes Política y Cultura.