Colombian President Urges UN to End War on Drugs

Gustavo Petro, the newly elected president of Colombia, attended the United Nations meeting on Tuesday and made clear his stance on the issue of marijuana and drugs. He called on those responsible to take a stand against the drug war and said that if this problem were not addressed, democracy would die in the Americas.

Petro delivered a speech to the UN General Assembly in which he shared the failures of the war on drugs.

“I propose to you, as President of one of the most beautiful countries on earth and one of the bloodiest and most violent, to end the war on drugs and thus allow our people to live in peace”: President @petrogustavo at the @UN . #ColombiaEnLaONU 🇺🇳🇨🇴#UNGA pic.twitter.com/U6D1iraodU

— Colombia Presidency 🇨🇴 (@infopresidencia) September 20, 2022

“The war on drugs has lasted 40 years. If we don’t correct course and this continues for another 40 years, 2.8 million people will die from drug overdoses in the United States,” Petro said. “You will see millions of African Americans locked up in their private prisons.”

Speaking about Colombia and its history with the war on drugs, he said: “I propose to you, as President of one of the most beautiful and bloodiest countries on earth, that you end the war on drugs and allow our people to live in it Peace.”

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In an interview with GZERO, Petro spoke about US-Colombia relations that have lasted for decades and will see some changes now that Colombia has a left-wing president. He said the US government’s attitude toward drugs is “like a slow animal.”

“Great transformations don’t happen overnight,” he said, hinting that a greater effort from other nations, mainly those in Latin America, is needed. Still, he said Biden’s stance on drugs has been more outspoken than in previous administrations.

Photo by Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images

In the past, Petro has discussed the possibility of legalizing marijuana and creating a viable market for it, comparing Colombia to Canada. “Let’s see if we can make a few bucks by exporting cannabis because the drug is legal in parts of the world,” Petro told RCN, per Noticias. “Why can’t Cauca farmers grow cannabis?” he said, referring to a region in Colombia where agriculture is the main source of income for residents.

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Petro also spoke about the release of prisoners held for cannabis-related offences. “If we legalize cannabis, will we allow all people who have been incarcerated to stay in prison? Or is it time to release these people?” he said.

Elected president on June 19, Gustavo Petro is a polarizing figure who has had ties to the M-19 guerrilla group in the past.