Is Petro's Colombia becoming a narco-state?

Is Colombia becoming a narco-state? This was the question posed to Colombian professor and economist Luis Guillermo Vélez, Democratic Center candidate for the Council of Medellín, who spoke with Voz Media this Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET. He analyzed the situation in the South American country headed by leftist President Gustavo Petro.

Accompanied by Orlando Avendaño and Vanessa Vallejo, Vélez spoke in an X Space about how Petro, a former guerrilla, got fully involved in the drug business to finance their criminal activities.

He also left a clear message to the audience about the fight against drugs: “Under the government of Álvaro Uribe, it was demonstrated that state action was capable of subduing drug traffickers. … The fight against drug trafficking is aimed at giving up trying to control the state and the government.”

Vallejo recalled that, this week, Bloomberg published a report on cocaine, which is about to surpass oil as Colombia’s main export.

According to the report, in 2022, Colombia traded $19.1 billion worth of oil, while estimated revenue from cocaine reached $18.2 billion.

Vallejo warned that this situation is terrifying, since just this week, the Colombian president “defended the narco-guerrillas that traffic cocaine in front of the UN,” in a speech where the socialist leader openly advocated for the legalization of drugs.

The Voz Media journalist explained the relationship between socialists and drug traffickers in the region, recalling that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is one of the heads of the Cartel of the Suns, that Bolivia is a narco-state and that, in Colombia, Marxist guerrillas like the FARC or the ELN have actively benefited from drug trafficking to achieve power.

“Let's remember that before they got into the drug business, the guerrillas were nothing,” said Vallejo.

Avendaño, editor for Voz Media, analyzed the scandals behind Petro’s leftist government: “Petro's government is involved in a corruption plot unprecedented in the history of Colombia. … The country is experiencing its worst days of this century.”

The journalist recalled the case of Petro's son, Nicolás, who revealed that his father's campaign benefited from illicit financing provided by drug trafficking, an accusation that is now being investigated by the Colombian Attorney General's Office.

Avendaño also spoke about "narco-pilot" Restrepo Osorio, who recently turned himself in to U.S. authorities in Tampa, Fla., and is currently being held in custody as he awaits a hearing.

This man, accused of drug trafficking, is linked to the the Sociedad Aerial de Ibagué (SADI), a firm that provides private air transport. SADI is currently being investigated by the National Electoral Council of Colombia for its role in Petro's presidential campaign, since it provided airplanes for the current Colombian president and several of the members of the Historical Pact throughout the electoral period.