President of Colombia says legalizing cocaine would prevent destruction of the Amazon
11 de September de 2025
By Ana Pastana – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated during the inauguration of the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center (CCPI), this Tuesday, 9, in Manaus, that “if cocaine were legalized worldwide, there would be no destruction of the Amazon rainforest.” The event was attended by Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and other federal and local authorities.
In his speech, Petro praised the Federal Police (PF) building, which will host representatives of the Amazonian countries Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, France (via French Guiana), Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, as well as the nine Brazilian states that make up the Legal Amazon: Amazonas, Acre, Amapá, Pará, Tocantins, Rondônia, Roraima, Maranhão, and Mato Grosso. The center’s purpose is to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking, environmental crimes, and other offenses.
Emphasizing that Colombia and Brazil face a common enemy—the mafia and drug trafficking, especially cocaine—Petro defended the legalization of the substance, arguing that the measure could reduce the number of deaths linked to narcotrafficking.
“If cocaine were legalized worldwide, there would be no destruction of the Amazon rainforest. This is a matter of debate. Latin America should also discuss it without fear, without embarrassment, without shame, because it’s as if we were criminals bowing our heads to a policy made in New York, a failed policy,” he criticized.
Petro also declared that currently, “the gringos are using fentanyl [an opioid used as a painkiller and anesthetic] and are dying by the thousands. And when it was cocaine, far fewer died, and when it was marijuana, fewer still,” he said.
The statement, which went viral on social media, divided opinions. “He is right, European countries have already legalized and the drug trafficking issue improved,” said one user. “Unbelievable,” commented another.
Agenda in Manaus
In addition to inaugurating the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center (CCPI Amazônia), president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva carried out another agenda this Tuesday, 9, by launching projects of the Norte Conectado Program, considered one of the largest digital infrastructure projects in the region’s history.
On the occasion, Lula also delivered the subfluvial cable of Infovia 04, connecting Boa Vista (RR) to Amazonas, a milestone representing progress in the construction of the digital highway system. The program’s main goal is to expand connectivity in the Amazon, ensuring access to high-speed internet and strengthening regional integration.
The president closed his agenda by participating in the implementation ceremony of the Union with Municipalities Program for the Reduction of Deforestation and Forest Fires. At the event, agreements were signed between the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Anater) for the program’s implementation, as well as between BNDES and the Chico Mendes Memorial for the implementation of the Sanear Amazônia project.