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.
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."
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.
