Colombia: A Plan to Eradicate Illicit Crops Amid a Geopolitical Threat
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has denounced a “geopolitical strategy” linked to drug trafficking and announced a plan to eradicate 25,000 hectares of illicit crops within 90 days.
During a televised cabinet meeting, Petro warned about the devastating effects of cocaine trafficking from the Catatumbo region, explaining how the drug passes through Haiti before reaching the United States, fueling violence and instability in the Caribbean nation.
“This cocaine leaves Alta Guajira, reaches Haiti within hours, funds violence, and then continues to Miami. That’s the route. Catatumbo is financing Haiti’s destabilization.”
— Gustavo Petro
The president also highlighted the tactics used by armed groups, comparing the methods of the ELN (National Liberation Army) to those of paramilitary groups in the 1990s. He referenced Carlos Castaño, a former paramilitary leader, who implemented a “fake agrarian reform” to establish territorial control through terror.
An Ambitious Plan Against Drug Trafficking
In response to this crisis, Petro announced a decree on internal unrest, aiming to eradicate 25,000 hectares of coca crops within 90 days, with the possibility of an extension.
“There are 55,000 hectares of coca in Colombia. Our goal is to eliminate half within the given timeframe.”
This plan represents a significant offensive against drug trafficking and its regional consequences.
