U.S. says Colombia, Venezuela failed to fight drug trafficking

BOGOTA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump designated on Monday countries such as Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia and Venezuela among those the United States believes to have "failed demonstrably" in upholding counternarcotics agreements during the past year.

The decision, which could affect funding for the countries, came after Trump said the U.S. military had carried out a strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel, its second such strike in recent weeks.

"I hereby designate Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to ... adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements," Trump said.

The statement featured in a presidential determination he submitted to the U.S. Congress, which added that U.S. assistance to the countries was "vital" to its interests.

Coca cultivation and cocaine production in Colombia have "surged to all-time records under President Gustavo Petro, and his failed attempts to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the crisis," the declaration said.

Petro came to office in 2022 promising agreements with armed groups, but last year pivoted his strategy, pledging to tame coca-growing regions with massive social and military intervention. The strategy has brought little success.

Trump blamed Colombia's political leadership for the failure to meet its drug control obligations, but thanked its security personnel for their courage.

"I will consider changing this designation if Colombia's government takes more aggressive action to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine production and trafficking."

Trump had previously threatened to "decertify" Petro's drug containment efforts as ineffective and Republican lawmakers have expressed support for sharp cuts to non-military aid for the country.

Petro lamented the decision, which he said came after dozens of deaths of Colombian police, soldiers and civilians fighting trafficking.    "What we are doing does not really have to do with the Colombian people," he said during a televised cabinet meeting.

"Rather, it is to stop American society from getting their noses dirty from the desire to work, work, work," he added, in an apparent reference to the stimulant effects of cocaine.

Colombia's ambassador to Washington, Daniel Garcia-Pena, told reporters last week that U.S. funding had already been hit by the dismantling of USAID and the U.S. could choose to cut about $100 million of programs not focused on drug trafficking if Trump decided to decertify Colombia.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro "leads one of the largest cocaine trafficking networks in the world," Trump said in his determination, adding that the United States would continue to try to bring him to justice.

The Trump administration has adamantly accused Maduro of running drug trafficking organizations, allegations always vehemently denied by Caracas, which has accused Trump of seeking regime change through a military build-up in the Caribbean.

The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Sarah Morland; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)