Of all the tools that the US government could use to try and bring Colombia in line with its policy objectives, decertifying the country as a counter-narcotics ally was among the bluntest. The decertification that was announced on 15 September had been widely anticipated, with the White House highlighting surging coca cultivation and President Gustavo Petro’s alleged reluctance to militarily confront drug trafficking groups. The Petro administration, which claims that the US decision was politically motivated, initially seemed to have escaped the worst-case scenario, which would have entailed severe cuts to military aid. That could easily change, however – at the time of writing in late October US President Donald Trump was threatening to end all US aid to Colombia (see our sister publication, the Latin American Weekly Report, for the latest on this developing story).End of preview - This article contains approximately 1290 words.
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