Colombia to resume aerial spraying of cocaine crops
The trial initiative sprang from recent talks between Colombia’s new rightist president and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to The New York Times.
Colombia is set to resume aerial spraying of coca crops for the first time since 2015, as the nation heeds US calls to combat record cocaine production. The decision to resume the initiative stems from recent talks between Colombia’s new rightist president and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, signaling a shift in the Trump administration’s anti-narcotics tactics.
The diplomacy aims to assert dominance in the Western Hemisphere, with Rubio warning that Washington would "still blow up ships if need be." The move comes as crime and violence concerns topped a regional poll this year, and the swift embrace of Washington’s hard-line playbook in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador reflects the desperation of leaders to show progress in the fight against drug trafficking.
Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
