The Trump administration has decided to remove Venezuela from its list of countries that have failed to combat illegal drug trafficking, marking the first time in over 20 years this has occurred. President Donald Trump stated that the country has made progress against narcotics since the removal of former President Nicolas Maduro. Trump mentioned in a statement submitted to Congress that there is growing cooperation with Venezuela's interim government against drug cartels.
The US had previously abducted Maduro in January and is currently trying him in a New York City federal court on drug trafficking charges. The US has been working with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, securing agreements for US oil companies to access resources in Venezuela.
Under US law, the president must inform lawmakers annually about other countries’ efforts to combat narcotics production and trafficking. In the recent report, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, and Colombia were designated as having “failed demonstrably,” while Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Nicaragua were criticized.
Trump praised Bolivia and Colombia for electing new conservative leaders, expressing expectations for increased efforts in coca eradication and combating narcoterrorist groups, although their designations will remain for now. He noted that significant political changes in South America have created opportunities for cooperation with governments in the region.
Countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia are now led by leaders aligned with Trump. Many of these countries have joined the Shield of the Americas program, a US-led military and security alliance aimed at combating narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities.
Additionally, on Tuesday, the Trump administration announced a redirection of $52 million in foreign military funding towards Latin America, moving resources away from partners in Europe and the Middle East.