Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for the legalisation of cocaine globally, saying it is no worse than whiskey.
Mr Petro made this call in a ministerial meeting televised live on Tuesday, arguing that cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America.
“Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whisky,” Mr Petro said, claiming “Scientists have analysed this.”
For the Colombian leader, drug trafficking could be easily dismantled if cocaine is legalised globally.
“If you want peace, you have to dismantle the business (of drug trafficking),” Mr Petro said. “It could easily be dismantled if they legalise cocaine in the world. It would be sold like wine.”
Colombia is ranked the world’s top cocaine producer and exporter to Europe and the United States of America.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in 2023, Colombian cocaine production hit 2,600 metric tons, a 53 per cent increase in Colombia.
