U.S. Decertifies Colombia in Drug War, Straining Longtime Alliance

The United States has formally determined that Colombia failed to meet its obligations in the fight against illicit drugs, a move by President Donald Trump that has deepened a rift with the South American ally and prompted a sharp rebuke from Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

Trump submitted a presidential determination on Monday designating Colombia as a country that has not done enough to curb cocaine production and trafficking, joining a list that already includes Afghanistan, Bolivia, Myanmar and Venezuela. The decision to decertify Colombia under the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act is largely symbolic but can be accompanied by sanctions, including cuts to U.S. aid and the denial of loans and credits from international development banks. The administration, however, included a waiver declaring continued U.S. military and humanitarian assistance a critical national security interest.

In the formal determination, Trump attributed the rise in coca cultivation and cocaine production in Colombia to the policy choices of President Petro, writing that the failure “rests solely with its political leadership.” The White House lauded Colombian law enforcement and security forces in a post on X, saying the U.S. was “grateful” for their efforts and commending their “courage, skills & sacrifices.”

Petro rejected the U.S. assessment, characterizing the move as interference in Colombia’s internal affairs and accusing Washington of seeking to install a “puppet president.” He said Colombia has deployed resources to combat cocaine production and noted dozens of deaths among police, soldiers and civilians in efforts to stem drug flows. Petro also announced that Colombia would suspend purchases of arms from the United States.

The dispute reflects deeper policy disagreements. Petro, a leftist president elected in 2022, has pursued a strategy he calls “total peace,” which seeks negotiated demobilization of armed groups tied to drug trafficking. The U.S. has pushed for a more aggressive law-enforcement approach. In his determination, Trump wrote that he would reconsider Colombia’s designation if Bogota “takes more aggressive action” against trafficking and cooperates with Washington to bring criminal leaders to justice.

Colombia has been certified by the U.S. for nearly three decades and was last decertified in 1997 amid allegations that then-President Ernesto Samper accepted campaign financing from the Cali cartel; it was re-certified the following year. Since 2000, Colombia has received roughly $14 billion in U.S. aid, much of it directed to military and police forces.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime data cited by officials show that the area under coca cultivation in Colombia has nearly tripled over the past decade to record levels, reflecting a global boom in cocaine. The U.N. findings have complicated bilateral discussions: Washington says the surge underscores the need for tougher measures; Bogota points to international demand — primarily in the United States and Europe — as the principal driver of production.

The decertification comes amid a broader Trump administration campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America that has included the designation of some cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, increased U.S. military activity in the region and targeted actions against Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters during a visit to Israel, said Colombia had been “a great partner” historically but criticized Petro as “erratic” and “not a very good partner” on drug control.

Relations between Trump and Petro have deteriorated over several flash points in recent years. Petro has at times suspended cooperation on extradition requests and initially refused to accept U.S. deportation flights in January over concerns about treatment of migrants, a standoff that ended after Trump threatened tariffs. In June, Petro rescinded accusations that Rubio had been involved in a plot to oust him, but diplomacy soured again in July when the U.S. recalled its top diplomat from Bogota following what Washington called “baseless and reprehensible statements” from Colombian officials; Colombia reciprocated by recalling its ambassador to Washington.

Analysts said the immediate material effects of decertification are limited by the waiver protecting military and humanitarian assistance. The Washington Office on Latin America has noted that decertification primarily harms a country’s reputation, though it can trigger financial penalties. The Colombian embassy in Washington underscored that the waiver “allows continued bilateral cooperation in areas such as the fight against drug trafficking.”

Still, observers warned the political fallout could erode cooperation. Alejandro Arreaza, an economist at Barclays, told Bloomberg that the strategic value of the U.S.-Colombia relationship and the prospect of electoral change in Bogota make a sharp escalation less likely in the short term. Others cautioned that strained ties between the two leaders could complicate future rapprochement and that opposition candidates in Colombia’s upcoming campaign might exploit anti-American sentiment or seek alignment with U.S. policy to gain political advantage.

Colombia has also expanded economic ties with China in recent years, a shift that analysts say could gain momentum if bilateral relations with the United States cool. For now, the waiver preserves operational collaboration, but the decertification has already widened a diplomatic breach between two countries that have been longstanding security partners in the region.

Trump said in his determination that Colombia could be removed from the list if it intensifies efforts against trafficking and works with the United States to prosecute criminal leaders. Petro said to reduce coca cultivation sustainably requires tackling demand in consumer countries rather than relying on aerial herbicide campaigns, and he reiterated calls for international cooperation to address the global drug trade. The dispute sets up a period of uncertainty for bilateral relations as Colombia heads into an election year and Washington presses its anti-narcotics agenda.