Joe Biden and Colombia Part 2: ending the 'War on Drugs'

[Judi Lynn]

by Adriaan Alsema January 15, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden wants to end the United States’ so-called “War on Drugs,” which may force Colombia’s President Ivan Duque to drastically revise domestic drug policies.

Duque gladly returned to the hardline stance on drug use and drug trafficking promoted by his political patron, former President Alvaro Uribe, after taking office in 2018.

Despite the counterproductive results, Colombia’s president could count on the support of his outgoing American counterpart Donald Trump.

In fact, Duque has been trying to resume the controversial aerial spraying of coca, the base ingredient of cocaine, ever since Trump took office in 2018, but without success.

The US Embassy in Bogota is visibly in transition and Biden has been an outspoken supporter of more liberal drug policies like the ones promoted by former President Juan Manuel Santos, the political nemesis of Duque’s far-right Democratic Center party.

Duque unsuccessfully sought to criminalize marijuana while Biden’s pre-election “Unity Task Force” considered this part of “the misguided and racist federal war on drugs and the systematic criminalization of poverty.”

The US president’s elect’s think tank recommended to “increase support for accountable efforts to combat global organized crime responsible for human and drug trafficking,” but also said that “it is past time to end the failed ‘War on Drugs’, which… hasn’t been effective in reducing drug use.”

More:
https://colombiareports.com/joe-biden-and-colombia-part-2-ending-the-war-on-drugs/

[AllaN01Bear]

1. my late mom said that the war on drugs was another war on blacks .

good riddance .

[Judi Lynn]

2. Joe Biden and Colombia Part 1: Duque 'optimistic' about relations

by Adriaan Alsema January 14, 2021

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque is “optimistic” about working with US-President-elect Joe Biden despite strain relations over alleged election meddling by his government.

Duque has every reason to be optimistic as relations haven’t been this bad since 1994 when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed former President Ernesto Samper’s election campaign was financed with drug money.

Colombia’s current president and his far-right party are being investigated on similar charges and could see Washington investigating alleged meddling in the US elections to favor President Donald Trump.

. . .

Fortunately for Duque, his denial of reality is not his only trademark. The president’s obedience to his masters is too.

This may help improve relations if Biden wants Duque to dump the government officials and political allies who are accused of meddling in the US elections.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/joe-biden-and-colombia-part-1-duque-optimistic-about-relations/