October 4, 2022 13:46
After meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that “broad common ground” in the fight once morest drugs still exists even under the new president’s administration.
Blinken arrived Monday in Colombia, a traditional ally of the United States in South America, to discuss drug control with the new authority of leftist President Gustavo Petro.
Bogota is the first leg of his tour of Latin America, during which Blinken will travel to Chile and Peru.
Petro’s outreach to leftist fighters and drug dealers – as long as they laid down their arms and halted illegal activities – contrasts starkly with his predecessor, Evan Duque, who had good relations with the United States.
Colombia, which suffered decades of civil war fueled in part by drug trafficking, is also the world’s largest cocaine producer, with the United States as its main market.
“We strongly support the comprehensive approach adopted by the Petro administration,” Blinken said at a joint press conference with the Colombian president following their meeting at the Casa Nariño Palace.
He added, “I think we are close in terms of implementation and also in a comprehensive approach to the problem, which is necessary.”
Source: agencies
