‘Cocaine no worse than whisky, ban as it comes from Latin America’: Colombia takes aim at US
1 month, 2 weeks ago

‘Cocaine no worse than whisky, ban as it comes from Latin America’: Colombia takes aim at US

Live Mint  

Colombian President Gustavo Petro who challenged United States President Donald Trump on deportations of illegal immigrants has now pushed for legalisation of cocaine, saying that the drug is “no worse than whisky” and only illegal because it comes from Latin America. Speaking during the live broadcast of a six-hour long ministerial meeting, Petro claimed that opioid fentanyl is the bigger problem for the US, not cocaine, and that legalising the drug would provide a solution. The government meeting — broadcast live for the first time ever, according to an AFP report, say Petro claim that “cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whisky.” “Scientists have analysed this. Fentanyl was created as a pharmacy drug by North American multinationals and those who consumed it became addicted.” Colombia World's Biggest Cocaine Producer, Exporter Notably, Colombia is the world's biggest cocaine producer and exporter, with its trade largely being with the US and Europe, according to an AFP report.

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History of this topic

Colombia calls for UN to pull cocaine's main ingredient from its 'harmful substances list' after president said the drug 'is no worse than whiskey'
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Colombia calls for UN to pull cocaine's main ingredient from its 'harmful substances list' after president said the drug 'is no worse than whiskey'

Daily Mail  

Colombia has urged the UN to remove cocaine's main ingredient from its list of harmful substances, after its president said the drug is 'no worse than whiskey.' Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia, in an address to the UN's Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, insisted Monday that the coca leaf, cocaine's main ingredient, 'is itself not harmful to health'. Former …

Colombian president aims to reduce drug violence and weaken rebels by paying farmers to switch crops
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Colombian president aims to reduce drug violence and weaken rebels by paying farmers to switch crops

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced a plan Monday to reduce coca planting in a northeastern region rattled by rebel attacks by paying farmers while they switch to legal crops. Petro said at a cabinet meeting that his government will seek to eradicate 25,000 hectares of coca in the Catatumbo region within 140 days, as part of an …

Cocaine is ‘no worse than whisky,’ says Colombian President Gustavo Petro
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Cocaine is ‘no worse than whisky,’ says Colombian President Gustavo Petro

CNN  

CNN — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that “cocaine is no worse than whiskey” as he suggested the global cocaine industry could be “easily dismantled” if the drug was legalized worldwide. “Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whisky,” the president said on Tuesday during a six-hour ministerial meeting that …

Colombian president calls for cocaine to be legalised worldwide and says it's 'no worse than whisky'
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Colombian president calls for cocaine to be legalised worldwide and says it's 'no worse than whisky'

Daily Mail  

Colombia's socialist president has said cocaine 'is no worse than whisky' and is only illegal because it comes from Latin America - as he called for the illicit drug to be legalised around the world. Colombia is the world's biggest cocaine producer and exporter, mainly to the United States and Europe, and has spent decades fighting against drug trafficking. President …

‘Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whiskey’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

‘Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whiskey’

Firstpost  

Global drug trafficking could be “easily dismantled” if coke was “sold like wine,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a six-hour-long government meeting Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that cocaine is “not worse than whiskey” and that it’s only illegal because it comes from Latin America. “Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it …

Colombian president says cocaine 'no worse than whisky'
Trending News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Colombian president says cocaine 'no worse than whisky'

Raw Story  

Cocaine "is no worse than whisky" and is only illegal because it comes from Latin America, said Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a live broadcast of a government meeting. During a six-hour ministerial meeting -- broadcast live for the first time ever -- the leftist president said "cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it …

Colombia reactivates arrest orders for top rebels blamed for deadly violence in cocaine turf war
2 months ago

Colombia reactivates arrest orders for top rebels blamed for deadly violence in cocaine turf war

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s government is reactivating arrest orders for the top leadership of the nation’s largest rebel group following attacks on civilians as part of a deadly turf war with dissident guerrillas from another armed group for control of a coca-growing region bordering Venezuela. Colombia’s Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo told the U.N. Security Council Wednesday that the government …

Mexico makes record fentanyl bust days after Trump tariff threat
Trending News
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Mexico makes record fentanyl bust days after Trump tariff threat

CNN  

CNN — Mexican authorities have announced what they say is the largest fentanyl bust in the country’s history, with over a ton of the synthetic opioid seized in two raids in the cartel-ridden northern state of Sinaloa. “It is the largest seizure of fentanyl pills that has ever been made,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday morning during her daily …

Mexico makes record fentanyl bust days after Trump tariff threat
Trending News
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Mexico makes record fentanyl bust days after Trump tariff threat

CNN  

CNN — Mexican authorities have announced what they say is the largest fentanyl bust in the country’s history, with over a ton of the synthetic opioid seized in two raids in the cartel-ridden northern state of Sinaloa. “It is the largest seizure of fentanyl pills that has ever been made,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday morning during her daily …

The violence of the drug trade has arrived in what were once Latin America's safest countries
1 year, 2 months ago

The violence of the drug trade has arrived in what were once Latin America's safest countries

ABC  

On Tuesday afternoon, viewers of El Noticiero, one of Ecuador's most popular TV news programs, were greeted with an alarming sight. Key points: Ecuador's president has declared war on the country's drug gangs, after the leader of Los Choneros escaped from prison Gang members have staged riots in response, holding prison guards hostage and storming a TV studio during a …

The US sanctions Mexican Sinaloa cartel members and firms over fentanyl trafficking
1 year, 4 months ago

The US sanctions Mexican Sinaloa cartel members and firms over fentanyl trafficking

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 13 members of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel and four Sonora, Mexico-based firms accused of trafficking fentanyl and other drugs into the United States. The Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, said that the U.S. “will aggressively pursue all who are complicit operators and facilitators of these …

US announces sweeping action against Chinese fentanyl supply chain producers
1 year, 5 months ago

US announces sweeping action against Chinese fentanyl supply chain producers

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration took aim Tuesday at the fentanyl trafficking threat, announcing a series of indictments and sanctions against Chinese companies and executives blamed for importing the chemicals used to make the deadly drug. “And we know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China.” Besides …

Cocaine set to become Colombia’s top export after surpassing oil: Report
1 year, 6 months ago

Cocaine set to become Colombia’s top export after surpassing oil: Report

Live Mint  

Cocaine is set to become Colombia's main export and overtake oil, according to estimates by Bloomberg Economics. Felipe Henandez, a Bloomberg economist said that oil exports posted a drop of 30% in the first half and the trend of cocaine trade has consistently risen which means it could be Colombia's number one export as soon as this year. In an …

UN says Colombia’s coca crop at all-time high as officials promote new drug policies
1 year, 6 months ago

UN says Colombia’s coca crop at all-time high as officials promote new drug policies

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Coca cultivation reached an all-time high in Colombia last year, the U.N. said, as the administration of President Gustavo Petro struggles to reduce poverty in remote areas and contain armed groups that are profiting from the cocaine trade. U.N. officials said coca production had diminished in Colombia’s interior due to decreases in the price for coca leaf, …

Editorial: U.S.-Mexico officials must put aside animosity to stop fentanyl deaths
1 year, 11 months ago

Editorial: U.S.-Mexico officials must put aside animosity to stop fentanyl deaths

LA Times  

A round of indictments against a major Mexican fentanyl trafficking ring last week presents an opportunity to hobble the multinational drug enterprise killing people on both sides of the border — but only if leaders in the United States and Mexico can stop sniping at each other and overcome a rift between them. Gen. Merrick Garland, announcing the indictments against …

US sanctions Mexican international cartel lieutenant
2 years, 1 month ago

US sanctions Mexican international cartel lieutenant

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions Monday on an international operator for the Sinaloa drug cartel whose activities span the globe. The department said Rivera Zazueta’s network “operates on a global scale with nodes in the United States, Mexico, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.” “Rivera Zazueta imports precursor chemicals from China to Mexico, …

Colombia shifts strategy in drug war away from coca eradication
2 years, 2 months ago

Colombia shifts strategy in drug war away from coca eradication

Al Jazeera  

After decades of fumigating and pulling up coca plants, Gustavo Petro announces drop in forced crop eradication goals. Bogotá, Colombia — After promising to radically change Colombian drug policy, the administration of President Gustavo Petro has announced plans this month to reduce forced eradication efforts that, for decades, have remained one of the country’s chief strategies to curb coca, the …

Colombia marijuana: This country calls time on the ‘war on drugs’
2 years, 7 months ago

Colombia marijuana: This country calls time on the ‘war on drugs’

CNN  

Bogotà, Colombia CNN — It’s the home of notorious drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, and the origin of legendary Santa Marta Gold – once the most sought-after varieties of weed in the United States – named after Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range. Colombia’s law already allows the production of cannabis for medical purposes, mostly to be exported to …

US study says cocaine production remains high in Colombia
2 years, 8 months ago

US study says cocaine production remains high in Colombia

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Cocaine production in Colombia remained near record levels in 2021, according to estimates released on Thursday by the White House, raising the stakes for bilateral cooperation between the United States and Colombia’s next administration. In a press release, the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy said that last year Colombia produced approximately 972 tons of cocaine, …

Colombia extradites drug lord ‘Otoniel’ to the United States
2 years, 10 months ago

Colombia extradites drug lord ‘Otoniel’ to the United States

Al Jazeera  

Dairo Antonio Usuga’s Gulf Clan was believed to be responsible for 30 percent of all cocaine exports from Colombia. “I want to reveal that Dairo Antonio Usuga, alias ‘Otoniel’ has been extradited,” President Ivan Duque announced on Twitter on Wednesday, calling him “the most dangerous drug trafficker in the world”. Following Usuga’s arrest and that of another 90 suspected gang …

Colombia's leader touts peace efforts, says drugs are enemy
2 years, 11 months ago

Colombia's leader touts peace efforts, says drugs are enemy

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy In a farewell appearance at …

Ex-top drug cop in Bolivia charged with cocaine trafficking
3 years, 1 month ago

Ex-top drug cop in Bolivia charged with cocaine trafficking

Associated Press  

MIAMI — A former Bolivian antinarcotics chief has been charged in the U.S. with conspiring to provide top-level protection for cocaine shipments to the United States. “Instead of rooting out drug trafficking in that country, Dávila-Perez worked in partnership with Bolivian drug labs and sought to send more than a thousand kilograms of cocaine to the United States,” U.S. Attorney …

Ex-top drug cop in Bolivia charged with cocaine trafficking
3 years, 1 month ago

Ex-top drug cop in Bolivia charged with cocaine trafficking

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Instead of rooting out drug trafficking in that country, Dávila-Perez worked in partnership with …

As the drug war turns 50, the US is still public enemy number one
3 years, 9 months ago

As the drug war turns 50, the US is still public enemy number one

Al Jazeera  

For five decades, the US government has wreaked havoc both at home and abroad with its violent ‘war on drugs’. Fifty years ago, on June 17, 1971, United States President Richard Nixon convened a press conference with a grave message for his fellow citizens: “America’s public enemy number one, in the United States, is drug abuse”. Nor did it help, …

As the global war on drugs fades away, the only people who benefited were drug traffickers
5 years ago

As the global war on drugs fades away, the only people who benefited were drug traffickers

Salon  

America shows signs of emerging from the century-long shadow of drug prohibition, with marijuana leading the way and a psychedelic decriminalization movement rapidly gaining steam. "Dopeworld" author Niko Vorobyov and "Pills, Powder, and Smoke" author Antony Loewenstein both attempt the same feat — a global portrait of the war on drugs — and both reach the same conclusion—that drug prohibition …

Venezuela: corruption has created a cocaine superhighway to the US
5 years, 11 months ago

Venezuela: corruption has created a cocaine superhighway to the US

CNN  

Colombia and Honduras CNN — Cocaine trafficking from Venezuela to the United States is soaring, even as the country collapses. “Right now, it’s wide open,” said one US law enforcement officer, “then it’ll just be a free for all.” Years of allegations For years, the US has accused high-ranking Venezuelan officials of drug trafficking. In 2017, former Venezuelan Vice President …

US vows to help world's largest cocaine producer curb 'deeply concerning' rise in cultivation
6 years, 2 months ago

US vows to help world's largest cocaine producer curb 'deeply concerning' rise in cultivation

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The US government has …

Peace in Colombia spells boom time for cocaine users in the US
7 years, 10 months ago

Peace in Colombia spells boom time for cocaine users in the US

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Colombia produced a whopping …

Why is coca production on the rise in Colombia?
7 years, 11 months ago

Why is coca production on the rise in Colombia?

Al Jazeera  

Early March, 2017: The United States government and the United Nations announce large increases in the amount of coca being cultivated in Colombia. Land inequality The government’s own comptroller general recognises that “after almost 200 years of reforms and counter-reforms, and many billions of pesos invested, the same crisis reigns in agriculture”. “As was entirely predictable,” reported the Colombian press …

Why is coca production on the rise in Colombia?
7 years, 11 months ago

Why is coca production on the rise in Colombia?

Al Jazeera  

Early March, 2017: The United States government and the United Nations announce large increases in the amount of coca being cultivated in Colombia. Land inequality The government’s own comptroller general recognises that “after almost 200 years of reforms and counter-reforms, and many billions of pesos invested, the same crisis reigns in agriculture”. “As was entirely predictable,” reported the Colombian press …

Brazil’s prisons: A battleground in the drug wars
8 years ago

Brazil’s prisons: A battleground in the drug wars

Al Jazeera  

Manaus, Brazil – It was early evening on January 1, 2017, when Maria heard that a riot was under way at Complexo Penitenciario Anisio Jobim – the prison where her two sons Antony, 27, and Antonio, 22, were being held. The next day, at around 4pm, inmates from Manaus’s dominant drug trafficking group Family of the North – which controls …

Fight against drugs cannot be won single-handedly
8 years, 9 months ago

Fight against drugs cannot be won single-handedly

China Daily  

Police guard confiscated cocaine weighing 400.5 kilograms seized in a major crackdown on an international drugtrafficking chain controlled by Hong Kong residents. Thanks in part to the nation's humiliating memories of what opium inflicted upon it, the government's vigilance against drugs and drug-related crimes never ceases. Public security departments have redoubled their inputs into their anti-drug efforts, especially since drug-related …

Mexico, Instead of Denying Crimes Against Humanity, Commit to Drug Policy Alternatives
8 years, 9 months ago

Mexico, Instead of Denying Crimes Against Humanity, Commit to Drug Policy Alternatives

Huff Post  

Soldiers patrol the perimeter of the Altiplano Federal Penitentiary, where drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is imprisoned, in Almoloya de Juarez, on the outskirts of Mexico City, January 10, 2016. Ginnette Riquelme / Reuters Last week, the Open Society Foundations published a ground-breaking report, “Undeniable Atrocities”, which accuses the Mexican government of committing crimes against humanity during Mexico’s Drug …

Drugs, money and violence: The toll in Mexico
9 years, 1 month ago

Drugs, money and violence: The toll in Mexico

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A label on the chart in this story showing smuggled money seized has been updated to clarify that the data represents the total smuggled outbound currency seized at all ports of entry around the nation. CNN — Mexico is home to world-class museums, archaeological sites and cultural events – but in the past decade, drug cartel violence is …

Snow of the Andes: Bolivia’s Coca Dilemma
9 years, 3 months ago

Snow of the Andes: Bolivia’s Coca Dilemma

Al Jazeera  

Bolivia fights to maintain its traditional use of the coca leaf as drug trafficking threatens national customs. The country has a long history of using the coca plant for many of its traditional medicines, in food and in daily consumption. Since the election of Evo Morales in 2006 many of the laws that had for generations outlawed coca farming have …

Bolivia stands up to US with coca-control policy
9 years, 5 months ago

Bolivia stands up to US with coca-control policy

Al Jazeera  

Thumbing its nose at the ‘war on drugs’, help for farmers has spurred a major drop in cocaine production since 2011. “I think Bolivia has demonstrated that in terms of reduction of coca cultivation over the past four years, the results are very encouraging and very positive,” said Antonino de Leo, UNODC’s Bolivia representative. “Of course, there is room to …

Is it time to end America’s ‘war on drugs’?
12 years, 11 months ago

Is it time to end America’s ‘war on drugs’?

Al Jazeera  

With demand for drugs increasing and drug-related violence worsening, we ask if it is time to reassess drug policies. They do more trade amongst their neighbours than they did before, they’ve less dependence on United States’ economies and they’re more independent from a financial aid perspective … so given that they’ve greater independence, they’re saying we need to take this …

Decriminalising drugs in the Western hemisphere
13 years ago

Decriminalising drugs in the Western hemisphere

Al Jazeera  

Scranton, PA – United States Vice President Joseph Biden recently travelled to Mexico and Honduras in the midst of growing frustration with the US war on drugs. While Biden’s Central America visit was initially designed to discuss regional security more broadly, debate mainly revolved around Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina’s suggestion that the region consider decriminalising the use and transportation …

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