Colombian President Gustavo Petro, during a live government meeting, stated that cocaine is “no worse than whisky” and is only illegal due to its Latin American origins.
As the world’s largest producer and exporter of cocaine—primarily to the United States and Europe—Colombia has spent decades battling drug trafficking.
Speaking in a historic six-hour ministerial meeting broadcast live for the first time, the leftist leader remarked, “Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whisky.”
“Scientists have analysed this. Cocaine is no worse than whisky,” he added, suggesting that the global cocaine industry could be “easily dismantled” if the drug were legalised worldwide.
“If you want peace, you have to dismantle the business (of drug trafficking),” he said. “It could easily be dismantled if they legalise cocaine in the world. It would be sold like wine.”
Petro also pointed out that fentanyl “is killing Americans and it is not made in Colombia”, referring to the opioid responsible for around 75,000 deaths in the United States a year, according to official data.
“Fentanyl was created as a pharmacy drug by North American multinationals” and those who consumed it “became addicted,” he added.
Since coming to power in 2022, Petro has attempted to make peace with all of the armed groups that are fueled by drug trafficking in the hope of ending six decades of conflict.
Cocaine production in Colombia reached a record high in 2023, jumping 53 per cent to 2,600 tons, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
AFP
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