Trump administration says Colombia has failed in fight against drug trafficking, but US will still provide funding to country

By Jennifer Hansler, Stefano Pozzebon, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump administration said Monday that Colombia had “failed demonstrably” in its obligations to fight drug trafficking but the US will continue to provide funding to the country.

Although the decision to “decertify” Colombia but continue assistance avoids what experts said was the worst-case scenario of cutting off millions in funding, it is still a significant symbolic move.

It is likely to further harm the already rocky relationship between Washington and Bogota at a time when the Trump administration says countertrafficking is a top priority. The administration has militarized its response and conducted two deadly strikes on alleged traffickers in international waters around South America in the past several weeks.

The presidential determination, released Monday night, said that although Colombia has “failed demonstrably” over the past year, US assistance to Colombia “is vital to the national interests of the United States.” It blamed the de-certification on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump.

While Petro has called for his country to create “peaceful alternatives” to coca-cultivation rather than prosecuting farmers and small-scale traffickers, the Trump administration has ratcheted up its “war” against the traffickers, designating numerous Latin American cartels and criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations.

“In Colombia, coca cultivation and cocaine production have surged to all-time records under President Gustavo Petro, and his failed attempts to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the crisis,” the determination said.

“Colombia’s security institutions and municipal authorities continue to show skill and courage in confronting terrorist and criminal groups, and the United States values the service and sacrifice of their dedicated public servants across all levels of government,” it said. “The failure of Colombia to meet its drug control obligations over the past year rests solely with its political leadership.”

“I will consider changing this designation if Colombia’s government takes more aggressive action to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine production and trafficking, as well as hold those producing, trafficking, and benefiting from the production of cocaine responsible, including through improved cooperation with the United States to bring the leaders of Colombian criminal organizations to justice,” it said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Andrea Gomez and Fernando Ramos contributed reporting

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