US removes Venezuela from drug transit and production list amid wider regional shift

The United States has removed Venezuela from its list of major drug transit or production countries, according to a statement submitted to Congress by President Donald Trump. The decision comes as Washington says it is seeing improved cooperation with Venezuela's interim government against cartels. Trump also said the administration is considering removing Colombia and Bolivia from the same list.

Sponsored

In the statement, Trump said Venezuela had made progress against narcotics since the removal of Nicolas Maduro, whom he described as a former illegitimate dictator and drug trafficker. He said the results were linked to what he called growing cooperation with the interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez. The report also said the administration had designated Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma and Colombia as having failed demonstrably in their anti-narcotics efforts.

Under US law, the president must inform lawmakers each year about other countries' efforts to combat drug production and trafficking. Countries on the list face restrictions on some types of financial assistance, making the designation politically and economically significant. The latest report also criticised Mexico, Canada, Brazil and Nicaragua, while praising Bolivia and Colombia for electing new conservative leaders and saying it expected stronger action against coca cultivation and narcoterrorist groups.

The move reflects a broader shift in Washington's approach to parts of South America, where several governments have recently moved closer to the Trump administration. The statement said dramatic political changes in the region had created historic openings for cooperation. It also linked the change to a wider regional security framework, including the Shield of the Americas programme, which participating governments say is aimed at combating narcotics trafficking and other criminal activity.

Sponsored

The decision also comes against the backdrop of the administration's earlier action against Maduro, who was abducted in January and is being tried in a federal court in New York on drug trafficking charges, according to the report. Since then, Washington has been working with Venezuela's interim government and securing agreements for US oil companies to access resources in the oil-rich country. That makes the narcotics designation part of a wider set of diplomatic, legal and commercial dealings between the two sides.

What remains unclear is how quickly any further changes could be made for Colombia and Bolivia, and whether the latest designation will lead to any practical shift in US assistance or regional cooperation. It is also not clear how Caracas, Bogotá and La Paz will respond to the report's criticism and praise. The next point to watch is whether the administration follows through on any additional removals from the list in future reporting to Congress.

#Venezuela #UnitedStates #DonaldTrump #narcoticspolicy #sanctions