US adds Colombia to list of countries failing in fight against drugs – here’s why that matters

By Adriana Marin, Lecturer in International Relations, Coventry University

The US has “decertified” Colombia as an ally in the fight against drugs, adding it to a list of countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar and Venezuela. Behind the decision lie surging coca cultivation and a desire to signal that US support for Colombia is no longer unconditional. It represents a rupture in one of Washington’s longest-standing security partnerships in the region.

Under US law, the president must annually assess whether major drug-producing or transit countries are “fully cooperating” with American…

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