BOGOTA, Feb. 9 -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro has claimed that cocaine was no more harmful that liquor, saying that legalising the substance would be more effective in combating global trafficking than the current war on drugs.
Speaking during a six-hour ministerial meeting broadcast live, Petro argued that cocaine's status as a narcotic was due to geopolitics rather than its actual dangers.
"Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whisky," he was quoted as saying by CNN.
"Scientists have analysed this," he claimed.
Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine, with production surging under Petro's presidency to reaching a record 2,600 metric tonnes in 2023, according to the Unit...