Democrat lawmakers said this week that the Trump administration’s threat to cut off aid to Colombia could weaken U.S. intelligence networks and undo decades of security cooperation with one of Washington’s closest allies in the hemisphere.
President Donald Trump has escalated his feud with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in recent weeks. Last week, Trump accused him of allowing cocaine production to soar and announced sanctions on him, while threatening to suspend about $377 million in annual assistance. The administration also announced in September that it decertified Colombia as a partner in the war on drugs for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland called the move “incredibly shortsighted,” saying the funding directly supports U.S. drug-interdiction operations.