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America has formally labeled Colombia as a country that has “clearly not met” its obligations to combat narcotics trade, while stopping short from cutting off American assistance to the nation.

Each year, the US government publicly evaluates whether several countries are entirely working together with American-directed anti-narcotics efforts, and those deemed insufficient risk having their Washington-backed support suspended.

On Monday, the US leadership announced that cocaine production in Colombia had risen to all-time high numbers under its progressive president, Gustavo Petro, which the Colombian leader disputed.

Answering, the leadership declared it would halt purchasing weapons from the US.

Interior Minister Armando Benedetti informed journalists that his government would discontinue the acquisition of American weapons "starting now".

Additional countries the America stated had fallen short of their objectives were the Central Asian nation, Bolivia, Myanmar and the Bolivarian Republic.

Colombia was included on the roster for the first time since over two decades ago.

This decision is likely to damage relations between its left-wing government and the US government.

President Petro turned to social media to react to the Washington's accusation that during his time in office the territory cultivated with coca plants and the production of cocaine had hit record levels.

This vegetation are the primary component in the narcotic, and the country has consistently remained the top manufacturer of the illegal drug.

Research by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that growth of the crop had increased by a tenth in last year. Statistics for the current year are expected to be published in the coming weeks.

Yet the leader argued that it had been during the leadership of Iván Duque, who was in power from 2018 to 2022, that the area used for coca experienced significant growth.

Per data issued by the Colombian presidency, a historic 1,764 tonnes of cocaine were intercepted by government security forces between August 2022 and November 2024. Interceptions have persisted at a high level in this year, authoritative data indicate.

Petro also remarked that for the growing of coca to drop, what was needed was for consumption for cocaine to decrease in the US and in Europe.

Washington on the other hand put the responsibility squarely at Petro's door, saying that the president's dialogues with various factions — a number of these fund their operations through illegal drug activities — had impeded the battle against drugs.

"Ineffective moves to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the situation," a government report presented to US Congress stated.

It proceeds to commend the "skill and courage" of Colombia's security forces in combating criminal groups.

The document added that "the failure of Colombia to meet its substance regulation obligations over the previous year rests exclusively with its government".

Nevertheless, it leaves the option to reconsidering Colombia if its leadership "adopts firmer steps to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine manufacture and trade".

Although the statements from Washington has upset the leader, his administration will also be grateful that the labeling did not result in a reduction of the financial support, observers point out.

The designation occurs at a time when the US leader has made the struggle against "drug traffickers" a central objective.

On Monday, he announced that the navy had sank an alleged illegal trafficking boat in open sea in the tropical zone.

A number of persons were killed in the operation, the president stated.

He added the United States had gathered confirmation that the ships were operated by drug trafficking organizations but has yet to made that evidence public.