WASHINGTON – Colombia has reportedly been excluded from a regional anti-narcotics summit known as the “Shield of the Americas” due to concerns in Washington about the level of cooperation from the Colombian government in the fight against drug trafficking.
According to statements attributed to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, the United States is not seeing the level of cooperation it expects from the government of President Gustavo Petro to justify Colombia’s participation in the meeting.
“We are not seeing the level of cooperation we want from the Government of Colombia to invite them to the Shield of the Americas,” Leavitt said, according to reports circulating on social media and regional outlets.
The decision marks a notable shift in relations between the United States and Colombia in the area of anti-drug policy. For decades, Colombia has been one of Washington’s closest partners in the fight against narcotics trafficking, particularly during the period of “Plan Colombia,” a U.S.-backed strategy launched in the early 2000s to combat drug cartels and insurgent groups.
However, under President Petro, Colombia has adopted a different approach toward drug policy, emphasizing what the government calls “total peace,” a strategy that combines negotiations with armed groups, social programs and reforms to drug policy.
Critics argue that the shift has weakened traditional counter-narcotics efforts and allowed criminal organizations involved in cocaine production and trafficking to strengthen their operations. Supporters of the government’s policy maintain that decades of militarized drug enforcement have failed to solve the problem and that new strategies are needed.
The reported exclusion from the summit underscores growing tensions over how the drug trade in Latin America should be addressed. The United States has recently strengthened security cooperation with other regional governments that have taken more aggressive approaches to organized crime.
It remains unclear whether Colombia could still participate in future regional initiatives or whether the decision reflects a broader change in Washington’s strategy toward the country.