“No Worse Than Whiskey:” Leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro Defends Colombia’s Record Cocaine Production.

In a recent cabinet meeting broadcast live on national television, Colombian President Gustavo Petro provoked derision by asserting that cocaine is “no worse than whiskey” and attributing its illegal status to its production in Latin America. He suggested that global legalization of cocaine could dismantle the illicit drug trade, proposing it be sold similarly to wine. Petro emphasized that revenues from such sales could fund prevention programs aimed at reducing youth consumption.

🇨🇴 | Presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro:

“La cocaína es ilegal porque se fabrica en América Latina, no porque sea peor que el whisky”.
pic.twitter.com/wrL0oswxKJ

— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) February 5, 2025

These statements align with Petro’s longstanding criticism of the US-led war on drugs, which he deems ineffective. He has previously advocated for rethinking drug policies, emphasizing treatment and prevention over militarized approaches. In a 2024 address to the United Nations, Petro called for removing the coca leaf and cannabis from prohibitive regulations, citing the rise of synthetic drugs like fentanyl as a more pressing concern. 

Gustavo Petro: “Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whiskey.”

Analysis

“Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whiskey,” said the president, a former leftist M-19 guerilla. The statement, saying that it is illegal because it is made in Latin America is nonsensical, because so many other products are made in Latin America and not illegal—rum, cachaça, Colombian aguardiente, Mexican tequila, pisco, wines from Chile, México and Argentina, etc. With the United States as Colombia’s largest import customer, “because it’s made in Latin America” proves incoherent.

Petro suggested selling the deadly poison freely: “The business could be easily dismantled if cocaine were legalized worldwide. It would sell like wine,” he said, suggesting that the resources generated could be allocated to prevention programs to avoid consumption by minors. Oblivious to the fact that making the drug, which hijacks the brain’s dopamine neuroreceptor system, would lead to thousands, if not millions of additional deaths.

Click on the screen above for the entire video of the polemic cabinet meeting. [Spanish]

Context

The discussion occurs amid escalating tensions between Colombia and the United States regarding drug policy. The US has historically advocated for strict drug prohibition and has pressured Colombia to maintain aggressive anti-narcotics measures. Petro’s administration has shifted focus from forced eradication of coca crops, promising voluntary substitution and rural development programs, aiming to address the root causes of illicit cultivation.

However, many former combatants who signed Colombia’s historic 2016 peace agreement have taken to the streets this month to protest the governments failure to deliver on those development programs and other social commitments. The narco-insurgent groups that these former combatants belonged to were in most cases, integral members of the narcotics supply chain.

Petro promised “Total Peace”  when elected, though during his administration, Colombia’s security—especially in rural areas and remote towns, has worsened.  The narco-insurgent groups like the ELN and dissident remnants of the former FARC currently battling in the Catatumbo region of the Norte de Santander department have made a mockery of the president’s peace promises. These very groups are fighting over a key area known for coca production, coca being the bush that produces the leaves later processed into cocaine.

Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, with production reaching record levels during the Petro administration. The debate over legalization touches on issues of public health, international relations, and the effectiveness of longstanding drug policies. As discussions continue, the Colombian government faces the challenge of balancing domestic priorities with international expectations.