Colombia's President Calls for Worldwide Legalization of Cocaine, Claiming Drug is 'No Worse Than Whiskey'

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Summary

Cocaine "no worse than whiskey," would be "sold like wine" if legalized worldwide, Colombia's president says

Cocaine "is no worse than whiskey" and is only illegal because it comes from Latin America, said Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a live broadcast of a government meeting. Colombia is the world's biggest cocaine producer and exporter, mainly to the United States and Europe, and has spent decades fighting against drug trafficking. During a six-hour ministerial meeting -- broadcast live for the first time ever -- the leftist president said "cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whiskey." "Scientists have analyzed this. Cocaine is no worse than whiskey," he added, suggesting that the global cocaine industry could be "easily dismantled" if the drug were legalized worldwide.

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CBS News

Cocaine is ‘no worse than whiskey’, says Colombia’s president

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has said that "cocaine is no worse than whiskey" and that it is only illegal because it comes from Latin America. The leftist leader — who has struggled to contain rising cocaine production in the South American nation since taking power in August 2022 — made the comments this week during a six-hour ministerial meeting that was broadcast live for the first time ever. "Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whiskey," said Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla movement. "If somebody wants peace, the business (of drug trafficking) has to be dismantled," he added. "It could be easily dismantled if they legalised cocaine in the world. It would be sold like wine."

Middle

Euronews

Colombian President Gustavo Petro Says ‘Cocaine Is Illegal Because It’s Made In Latin America,’ Calls For Legalization

Colombian President Gustavo Petro claimed Tuesday that cocaine is only illegal around the world because it’s produced in Latin American countries, and that legalizing it would help strip power from cartels. “Cocaine is illegal because it’s made in Latin America. Not because it’s worse than whiskey,” Petro said at a roundtable with his cabinet on Tuesday. “The scientists analyzed this,” he added, “It’s not worse than whiskey.” In a Council of Ministers meeting, Petro and his cabinet broadcasted live on Colombian television as they discussed different national interest issues on Tuesday. His comments suggesting that cocaine is only illegal because of political interests and not the lethality and addictive nature of the drug have sparked controversy.

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The Daily Caller

News Results

Colombian president says cocaine 'no worse than whisky'

Colombian president says cocaine "is no worse than whisky" and is only illegal because it comes from Latin America. He says the global cocaine industry could be "easily dismantled" if the drug were legalized worldwide. Colombia is the world's biggest cocaine producer, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.

LEFT

10m ago

Colombia's Gustavo Petro Defends Cocaine as 'Not Worse than Whiskey' in Trainwreck 6-Hour Meeting

Far-left President of Colombia Gustavo Petro once again called for the legalization of cocaine. Petro claimed it is “not worse than whiskey” during a disastrous six-hour-long meeting on Tuesday evening with his cabinet of ministers that the government broadcast live. Petro has repeatedly defended the use of cocaine and described cocaine as less harmful than sugar.

RIGHT

10m ago

Cocaine no worse than whiskey – Colombian president

Colombian President: Cocaine is no worse than whiskey. He says it's illegal because it's produced in Latin America. The drug is made from the leaves of the coca plant. It's a powerful stimulant that can lead to addiction, the president says.

RIGHT

10m ago

President of Colombia calls for cocaine to be LEGAL after Trump humiliation

President of the world’s cocaine capital Colombia said the drug was ‘no worse than whiskey’ President called for the killer powder to be legalised just days after Trump embarrassed the South American chief by forcing him to cave and accept deportee planes. Colombia has spent years attempting to curb its drug issue but the President claimed the illegal powder was being scapegoated.

RIGHT

10m ago

Alcohol vs Cocaine: Know which one is worse for you - The Times of India

Colombian President Gustavo Petro claims cocaine is no worse than alcohol, arguing its illegality is due to its origin in Latin America. A 2010 study

MIDDLE

10m ago

Internet Reacts To Cocaine 'Is No Worse Than Whiskey' Claim By Colombian President

Colombian President: "Cocaine is no worse than whiskey" "It could easily be dismantled if they legalize cocaine in the world," he says. "It would be sold like wine" "I could go to a store and buy cocaine like I'm picking up a box of wine," he adds.

RIGHT

11m ago

Colombian President Gustavo Petro claims cocaine is no worse than whisky

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MIDDLE

11m ago

Colombia’s president: Legalize cocaine, it’s no worse than whiskey

Colombia is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocaine. The country's left-wing president claims the drug is being scapegoated by American politicians. Gustavo Petro: Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it's worse than whiskey.

LEFT

11m ago

'Cocaine is not worse than whisky,' says Colombia's Petro

'Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America,' says Colombia's President Gustavo Petro. 'It would be sold like wine, the money would be used so that children, as it is today, do not start drinking wine, alcohol or smoking,' he says.

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1h ago

Colombian president Gustavo Petro says cocaine is ‘no worse than whiskey’

Gustavo Petro made the contentious remark during a televised cabinet meeting. Colombia is by far the largest producer of cocaine in the world. Petro has previously labelled the US-led war on drugs a failure. The former mayor of Bogotá turned heads in Washington last week after he initially refused to receive Colombian deportees handcuffed on American military aircraft.

LEFT

5h ago

Cocaine Is 'Not Worse Than Whiskey' And Should Be 'Sold Like Wine' To Eradicate Drug Cartels, Colombia's President Says - Marijuana Moment

Colombian President Gustavo Petro: Cocaine is illegal not because it’s worse than whiskey, but because it is made in Latin America. Petro: If countries want “peace,” then they need to undermine illicit traffickers. “It could be easily dismantled if they legalized cocaine in the world,’ he said according to a translation.

LEFT

3h ago

Colombian President Says Cocaine Is Only Illegal Because It's Produced In Latin America, 'Not Because It's Worse Than Whisky'

Colombian President says cocaine is only illegal because it is produced in Latin America. He says a change in its status would prevent criminal organizations from profiting from it. Petro has repeatedly claimed that Latin America has been oppressed by wealthy, right-wing governments in the U.S. and elsewhere.

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