Mon Mar 17 08:38:56 UTC 2025: ## Colombia Warns US: Decertification on Drugs Would Flood America with Cocaine
**Bogota, Colombia** – Colombia’s defense minister, Pedro Sanchez, issued a stark warning to the United States on Sunday, urging the Trump administration against decertifying Colombia as a partner in the drug war. Sanchez argued that such a move would severely hinder Colombia’s ability to combat drug trafficking, ultimately leading to a surge of cocaine entering the US.
Washington is currently considering decertification, a decision that could jeopardize nearly half a billion dollars in annual US military aid and severely damage Colombia’s international reputation. Sanchez stressed that losing US cooperation would empower drug cartels and directly contradict US interests.
The potential decertification comes amidst rising coca cultivation in Colombia, which has increased by approximately 70 percent since President Gustavo Petro took office in 2022, according to Colombian government and UN figures. This increase, coupled with strained relations between President Petro and Donald Trump, who has previously threatened sanctions against Colombia, has heightened the risk of decertification.
Petro’s “total peace” policy, which prioritizes negotiation over military action against drug-producing militias, has been criticized for contributing to the rise in coca production. Sanchez acknowledged that this policy has inadvertently strengthened some armed groups, resulting in an increase of approximately 1,500 fighters in the past year. He also admitted that the Colombian military, facing budget cuts and outdated technology, is currently weaker in several key areas, including intelligence and drone capabilities.
Decertification would represent a significant blow to the Colombian military as it battles insurgent groups like the ELN, a narco-criminal group according to Sanchez, which currently controls significant territory near the Venezuelan border. The Colombian military aims to regain control of these areas, including a major coca-growing region controlled by the Estado Mayor Central, despite acknowledging the challenges ahead.
Colombia has launched a diplomatic offensive to prevent decertification, but officials remain pessimistic about the outcome. The potential loss of US funding mirrors a previous decertification in the 1990s, which resulted in frozen aid and decreased foreign investment. While the US eventually resumed funding and implemented Plan Colombia, a multi-billion dollar initiative to bolster Colombian security forces, the current situation poses a significant threat to the ongoing counter-narcotics efforts.
First Piper 