Colombian President Gustavo Petro has advocated the use and worldwide acceptance of cocaine, saying, “It is no worse than whisky” and is only illegal because it comes from Latin America.
Petro stated this during a live broadcast of a government meeting.
Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine producer and exporter, mainly to the United States and Europe, and has spent decades fighting against drug trafficking.
During a six-hour ministerial meeting—broadcast live for the first time ever—Petro said, “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.”
The Colombian president 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.
In an effort to put a stop to the battle that has raged for 60 years, Petro has tried to reach an agreement with all of the armed factions that are supported by drug trafficking since taking office in 2022.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Colombia’s cocaine output hit a record high in 2023, rising 53% to 2,600 tonnes.
