Name: Tensions growing between U.S and Colombia
Uploaded: 2025-11-08T22:04:17.581Z
Duration: 2 min 50 s
Description: Colombia is once again at the centre of the global drug debate. Under President Gustavo Petro, the government has vowed to move away from decades of U.S-backed eradication efforts. But as coca cultivation expands to record levels, Washington’s pressure is mounting.

Colombia is once again at the centre of the global drug debate. Under President Gustavo Petro, the government has vowed to move away from decades of U.S-backed eradication efforts. But as coca cultivation expands to record levels, Washington’s pressure is mounting.

Bogotá

In Colombia's Catatumbo region, coca cultivation remains a primary source of income for many families, despite longstanding promises of support for alternative crops. President Gustavo Petro has moved away from a militarized approach to coca eradication, instead promoting social development, but his policies have encountered significant challenges and limited impact on the ground.

The United States, a key ally in Colombia's anti-drug efforts, has criticized Petro's strategy and threatened to withdraw assistance, citing concerns over insufficient action against drug trafficking. Colombian officials emphasize the need for continued U.S. support and technology, as drug trafficking continues to fuel conflict in the country.

Tensions growing between U.S and Colombia

High in the mountains of Catatumbo in north-east Colombia, the coca leaf is a lifeline for many families in the region. Juan says it's the only crop that provides a steady income. We've been told so many times that we could get benefits if we change crops, but nothing has arrived for most of us here. That's why we continue to do this. There are lots of empty promises. And dozens of people are working here, among them, a 14-year-old teenager called Gabriel. The coca leaf is the main ingredient for cocaine, and there's at least 50,000 hectares of it in Catatumbo. UN data says that these plants are growing in record numbers across the country. Not far away, the leaves are chopped into pieces, and then they add sulphate, cement and diesel. The paste produces later on taken to a more sophisticated lab. Pedro, not his real name, says he gets around $650 for a kilo of cocaine paste. But he's only left with $140. Do you think we are the drug traffickers? Don't you think we should get help to do something else instead of being killed? If they don't want us to grow the coca, then seriously help us to grow something else. This is the first step in the process of cocaine production, and it's mostly carried out by peasants in the countryside. When President Gustavo Petro came to office, he decided to take a less militarized approach in coca eradication and decided to promote social development in areas such as this one. But his agenda is facing steep obstacles, including pressure from the United States. Colombia has been a crucial U.S. ally in the region in the fight against drug trafficking. But President Petro has increasingly questioned the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean and close to Venezuela. The United States has accused him of not doing enough to fight against drugs and has threatened to withdraw assistance. Colonel Jesús Alfonso Rojas says Colombia continues to fight drug traffickers in record numbers and that they need U.S. help. We need the technology and capacities which we don't have. Supporting our helicopters, special equipment and everything else we use to fight traffickers, it is a concern. Drug trafficking has been fueling Colombia's conflict for decades. The United States has spent billions in a fight that most analysts agree has so far failed. Petro is trying a different approach, but for now, much of his programs have failed to reach those who want to start anew.

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