Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the United States’ decision to decertify Colombia in its anti-drug and trafficking policy as an “injustice” and a “profound insult to the country.”

In a public speech, the president defended national sovereignty and highlighted that his government reached a historic record of 889 tons of cocaine seized in 2024, surpassing the figures of previous administrations. Petro emphasized that the anti-drug strategy should focus on dismantling criminal networks and not criminalizing farmers.

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“Colombia has shed its blood against drug trafficking, and now Donald Trump is decertifying us. That is not the fight against drugs, it is colonial blackmail. Sovereignty is not negotiable,” Petro stated, emphasizing that the country has paid a high human cost to curb cocaine use in the United States and Europe.

The speech comes after Washington decertified Colombia, removing it from the list of countries that—in its judgment—have complied in the fight against drug trafficking over the past twelve months.

The president compared his administration’s seizures with those of previous governments, highlighting that the 889 tons exceed the 746, 659, 428, 413, and less than 200 tons recorded during the administration of Álvaro Uribe (2002-2014), a Trump ally. “I have four times more than your friend Uribe, Mr. Trump,” he emphasized.

Petro defended the reorientation of his administration’s anti-drug policy, which prioritizes voluntary crop eradication over forced eradication to avoid harming rural communities. “My order wasn’t to burn down the farmers’ houses, Trump. Colombian farmers live in poverty. This isn’t how you solve the drug problem,” he stated.

According to the president, this strategy has increased the effectiveness of the fight against drug trafficking by focusing on criminal networks, not small producers.

The president also alluded to his history in the fight against drug trafficking, recalling his work in the Senate between 1998 and 2007, when his debates contributed to 35 percent of the senators at the time facing legal proceedings for ties to drug trafficking. “I managed to get those mobsters, friends of politics, to jail through my debates and by risking my life,” he stated.

Petro insisted that peace and nonviolent solutions are more effective than war in reducing drug trafficking.

In his speech, the president questioned the influence of political sectors in Miami, which he linked to historical ties between drug traffickers and Colombian politicians. “Be very careful, Mr. Trump, because I have the investigations that prove it,” he warned.

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