“My government is the one that has seized the most cocaine in the history of humanity,” affirms Gustavo Petro

Washington.- Colombian President Gustavo Petro assured this Tuesday that his administration is “the government that has seized the most cocaine in history”, underlining that his approach against drug trafficking prioritizes life and respect for human rights over more warlike strategies of other nations. After meeting with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, Petro stated that Colombia has intervened in the fight against drug trafficking with methods based on intelligence and international cooperation. According to the president, the seizure figures exceed those of any other government, although these statements have been the subject of debate and verification by some media and experts. “In my government, cocaine has not been fired, but more cocaine has been seized than in the entire history of the world,” Petro pointed out, who also affirmed that Colombia has extradited numerous alleged drug traffickers to the United States to answer to justice. Petro also defended his administration’s approach by pointing out that it is “going after the real kingpins” of drug trafficking and highlighted that his anti-drug policy has been less lethal in terms of the use of deadly force, comparing it to that of other countries in the region that have employed more aggressive armed operations.

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This statement occurs at a time of diplomatic tensions with the United States regarding the fight against drugs. In recent months, Trump and other senior U.S. officials have questioned the effectiveness of Colombian policies, while Petro has accused sectors of Washington of being misinformed or influenced by Colombian internal politics. Various independent analyses suggest that, while seizure figures have increased under the Petro government, with official figures accumulating thousands of tons intercepted since 2022, these should be interpreted in the context of an overall increase in coca production and the dynamics of the global narcotics market.