The new Colombian president-elect, Gustavo Petro, proposed on Sunday to end the system of extradition to the United States of people who would submit to the demands of justice in their country. In interview given to the Cambio site, the first left-wing man to come to power in Colombia suggested “make extradition conditional on non-compliance” of the “process of peaceful dismantling of drug trafficking“.
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This measure would dependof a negotiation with the United States, and maybe they don’t want it. Or what if“added the senator and former guerrilla elected on June 19 with more than 50% of the vote. Extradition “is a bilateral treaty and therefore we are two, as in any marriage“, underlined the 62-year-old leader, who will take the reins of the main ally country of the United States in the region on August 7. The two countries have been collaborating for almost half a century in the fight against drug trafficking, of which Mr. Petro is a fierce critic.
A “more equal” relationship
Two days after his election, Gustavo Petro spoke by telephone with US President Joe Biden, who pledged, he said, to “a more equal relationship“. Mr Biden said he hoped “continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation“.
As part of his ambitious program aimed at transforming a country marked by deep social divisions and violence, Gustavo Petro had announced during his campaign a “collective submission policyto justice for drug traffickers, without giving further details.
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Extradition has long been one of the main tools used to punish cocaine kingpins such as Otoniel, the former leader of Colombia’s biggest drug cartel, who was handed over to the United States in May. Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine and the United States the main consumer of this drug.
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