Colombian president calls for cocaine to be legalised worldwide and says it's 'no worse than whisky'

Colombia's socialist president has said cocaine 'is nary worse than whisky' and is lone amerciable due to the fact that it comes from Latin America - arsenic helium called for the illicit cause to beryllium legalised astir the world. 

Colombia is the world's biggest cocaine shaper and exporter, chiefly to the United States and Europe, and has spent decades warring against cause trafficking. 

President Gustavo Petro's remarks came during a unrecorded broadcast of a authorities gathering connected Tuesday, successful which helium besides claimed that cocaine is being scapegoated by American politicians. 

He stated that the illicit cause 'is amerciable due to the fact that it is made successful Latin America, not due to the fact that it is worse than whisky.'

'Scientists person analyzed this. Cocaine is nary worse than whisky,' helium added, suggesting that the planetary cocaine manufacture could beryllium 'easily dismantled' if the cause were legalized worldwide.

'If you privation peace, you person to dismantle the concern (of cause trafficking),' helium said.

'It could easy beryllium dismantled if they legalize cocaine successful the world. It would beryllium sold similar wine.'

Petro besides pointed retired that fentanyl 'is sidesplitting Americans and it is not made successful Colombia', referring to the opioid liable for astir 75,000 deaths successful the United States a year, according to authoritative data.

'Fentanyl was created arsenic a pharmacy cause by North American multinationals' and those who consumed it 'became addicted,' helium added.

Since coming to powerfulness successful 2022, Petro has attempted to marque bid with each of the equipped groups that are fueled by cause trafficking successful the anticipation of ending six decades of conflict.

Cocaine accumulation successful Colombia reached a record-high successful 2023, jumping 53 percent to 2,600 tons, according to the UN Office connected Drugs and Crime.