In a move underscoring the enduring threat posed by Colombian drug trafficking to the United States’ security, politics, and economy, President Joe Biden announced the extension of a national emergency that has been in effect since 1995. This declaration, outlined in a letter to Congress on October 17,2023, highlights the persistent influence of Colombian drug traffickers, to fuel violence, corruption, and harm on both domestic and international fronts.
The National Emergency, initially set in motion by U.S President Bill Clinton via Executive Order 12978 in 1995, authorizes the Treasury Department to freeze assets and prohibit transactions involving individuals and entities linked to drug trafficking. This executive order has seen seamless renewals by successive presidents, including the most recent extension by former President Donald Trump in October 2022.
The ongoing policy that targets those involved in drug trafficking, has a global reach and is instrumental in choking off the financial lifelines of these illicit networks. It has provided the basis for U.S. efforts to combat drug networks worldwide.
However, despite the persistent focus on Colombia, recent years have seen strained bilateral cooperation between the United States and the South American nation. A significant point of contention has revolved around the resumption of aerial spraying with glyphosate, a herbicide favored by the United States but suspended by Colombia’s Supreme Court due to its adverse health and environmental effects.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its latest report, indicating that Colombia retains its status as the world’s leading cocaine producer, with a sprawling coca cultivation area of 230,000 hectares.
In President Biden’s statement to Congress, he invoked Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, which stipulates that a national emergency automatically terminates unless the President publishes a notice stating its continuation 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration. The President cited the unresolved circumstances that led to the initial declaration in 1995, emphasizing that the actions of “significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States”. He further asserted that these activities contribute to extreme levels of violence. President Biden’s letter was delivered to Congress, hours before the departing the U.S to Israel.
