Gustavo Petro calls for cocaine legalization

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly advocated for the global legalization of cocaine, asserting that it is 'no worse than whiskey' and its illegal status is primarily due to its origin in Latin America. He believes that legalizing cocaine worldwide would effectively dismantle the drug trafficking business and contribute to peace. Petro contrasted cocaine with fentanyl, highlighting that fentanyl, a major cause of opioid deaths in the United States, is a pharmaceutical drug created by North American multinationals and not produced in Colombia. Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producer and exporter, has seen a 53% increase in cocaine production to a record 2,600 tons in 2023, despite decades of combating drug trafficking. Since taking office in 2022, Gustavo Petro has sought to make peace with armed groups involved in drug trafficking to end a six-decade conflict.