In a powerful and revealing interview with Univision, Colombian President Gustavo Petro exposed a harsh reality: the so-called “war on drugs” is actually a policy of dominance over Latin America. “They kill a million Latin Americans,” he stated, “and the demand for cocaine in the U.S. has not decreased by a gram — that is domination.”
Petro accused the U.S. of using their military strikes off the Venezuelan coast, which he described as “war crimes,” as a justification for invading Venezuela. He further asserted that the ultimate goal of these actions is to gain control over Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
In response, Donald Trump cut off U.S. aid to Colombia, imposed new tariffs on its exports, and labelled Petro an “illegal drug leader.”
For Petro, this issue is not personal; it is systemic. He framed the conflict as one between Latin American sovereignty and U.S. hegemony, arguing that reform alone will not be enough. He asserted that the war on drugs is a lie, serving as a facade under which foreign powers extract resources, intimidate, and invade.
