In a statement during a live government meeting, Colombian President Gustavo Petro argued that cocaine is no worse than whiskey and that its illegal status is rooted in its Latin American origins, rather than its inherent danger.
According to Petro, if the world legalised cocaine, it could be sold like wine, dismantling the entire drug trafficking industry in the process. The president emphasised that fentanyl, which is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States each year, poses a greater threat than cocaine and is not produced in Colombia.
Petro, who has been in power since 2022, believes that addressing the root cause of the global drug trade could help bring peace to Colombia, where cocaine production hit a record high in 2023. For now, it remains to be seen whether the global community will consider the president's proposal, though the chances seem slim.
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