Petro Challenges Noboa: «Ecuador Politicians Must Explain Why Their Ports Became Major Cocaine Exporters»

Original article: Petro contra Noboa: “Que expliquen los políticos del Ecuador por qué sus puertos pasaron a ser los mayores exportadores de cocaína” Amid the tense diplomatic situation with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that «Ecuadorian politicians must explain why their ports have become the largest exporters of cocaine». The confrontation between Quito and Bogotá has escalated to serious levels after Noboa’s administration decided to increase the security tariff on Colombian imports from 50% to 100% effective May 1. To justify this tariff measure, the right-wing leader argued that it is a response to a supposed lack of implementation of security measures by Colombia to enhance border safety.

“Unfortunately, it is impossible to reach agreements with someone who does not share the same commitment to fighting narcoterrorism. Since we implemented this measure, violent deaths on the northern border have decreased by 33%,” he communicated in a post on social media. “Since we implemented this measure, violent deaths on the northern border have decreased by 33%.

In the future, we can converse with a government that is committed to fighting crime and drug trafficking,” he added. In response to these statements, Gustavo Petro posted an extensive message on his X account, in which he reminded that the commitments against drug trafficking have been a priority since he began his fight for social justice in Colombia. “I did not come from a family of wealthy banana producers or bankers.

I was born among working people who are neither drug traffickers nor money launderers. They live off their labor and sacrifices,” he expressed. He noted that uncovering the connections between major Colombian drug traffickers and the oligarchic power that caused genocide in Colombia has been his “categorical imperative” throughout his 20 years in Congress.

Additionally, he stressed that among his efforts against drug trafficking during his political career was putting 35% of Colombian senators under criminal investigations in the Supreme Court of Colombia that ended with their convictions for links to paramilitary drug trafficking. “I coined the terms parapolitics and narcopolitics, and I know this extends throughout Latin America,” he asserted. “I have never been caught with cocaine in merchant ships from any of my companies; I do not have bank accounts around the world nor businesses, and my only asset is my family home that I am still paying off at the bank.

I do not engage in shady business,” Petro emphasized. In his message, the Colombian president posed that Ecuador must clarify «why cocaine shipments are found in those smelly business ships. ” He also stated that Ecuadorian politicians must explain “why surveillance weakened so much in maritime ports that they became the world’s largest cocaine exporters.

” “Colombian mafias are colluding with Ecuadorian mafias and with those in political and economic power,” he said. “I know from the recordings, which are said to be from your government, that you are giving foreign orders to find drug lords to accuse me at the border,” he underlined. He added that he has shown maximum patience to endure the insults from the Ecuadorian president towards him and the Colombian people.

The progressive leader highlighted that his support to Ecuador has been providing electrical energy when needed and expressed that he does not want “the blood of the Liberator’s people to spill due to character weaknesses, sullying the tricolor of freedom. ” He accused Noboa of insulting the Colombian government, which has seized more cocaine than any government in history, and also insulted him, shortly after announcing the decrease in coca cultivation areas in Colombia, a feat not achieved since 2018. “Over 200,000 Colombians have been killed by drug trafficking, including my fellow fighters; over 15,000 Colombian police officers have been killed in the fight against drug trafficking since the war on drugs began.

Mr. Noboa, respect these dead,” he asserted. Petro Orders the Return of Colombia’s Ambassador to Ecuador Amid rising tensions, Petro requested Colombia’s ambassador in Quito, María Antonia Velasco, to return immediately to the country and announced that the next cabinet meeting will take place at a border location with Ecuador.

Since February, Quito and Bogotá have been engaged in a tariff war impacting trade, energy cooperation, and crude oil transport. The tariff, which Ecuador refers to as a “security tax,” increased from 30% in February to 50% in March, in response to Colombia invoking the principle of reciprocity. In Petro’s view, Daniel Noboa’s government’s decision to increase tariffs to 100% on Colombian products means the end of the Andean Pact for Colombia.

“This is simply monstrous but signifies the end of the Andean Pact (sic) for Colombia. There is nothing more for us there. The chancellor (Rosa Villavicencio) must initiate steps toward full membership in Mercosur and lead us into the Caribbean and Central America with greater strength,” he noted on his X account.