(MENAFN) The United States imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Friday, accusing his administration of failing to tackle the illicit drug trade effectively. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the surge in cocaine production under Petro’s leadership has reached record levels, significantly contributing to the influx of drugs into the United States and exacerbating the opioid crisis. “Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans,” Bessent stated.

The US government claimed that Petro's administration has allowed drug cartels to thrive and has been unwilling to curb their activities. "Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," Bessent asserted. He emphasized that the Trump administration was taking decisive action to protect the US from the dangers of drug trafficking, stressing, "Today, President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate the trafficking of drugs into our nation."

In addition to sanctions on Petro, the US also blacklisted his son, Nicolás Fernando Petro Burgos, his wife, Veronica del Socorro Alcocer García, and Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti. These measures follow the revocation of Petro's visa by the US State Department at the end of September, in response to comments he made during a pro-Palestinian rally at the UN General Assembly.

Following the sanctions, the US State Department announced that it would no longer recognize Colombia as a partner in its counternarcotics efforts. "The United States will not turn a blind eye to Petro’s appeasement and emboldening of narco-terrorists," said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott. "We are committed to bringing terrorists and drug traffickers to justice and preventing deadly illegal drugs from entering our country."

Pigott further explained that the decision to decertify Colombia reflects the Trump administration’s disapproval of Petro's stance on drug-related issues, adding that the US remains ready to support Colombian security forces and justice institutions in efforts to combat drug trafficking.

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