Despite having just finished a speech in the middle of a regional agenda presented by Gustavo Petro, in Puerto Asís, Putumayo, the Colombian president launched a surprising measure. This affects the binational relationship against crime between Colombia and the United States, especially the fight against drugs.
In this regard, the head of state, at the podium of the event that took place on Wednesday of this week, revealed a position on the extradition of dangerous criminals to the United States justice system.
He revealed that if the peace processes that his government has with criminal structures are advanced, the criminals who are in those dialogues will not be extradited to the United States.
"We've paved the way. If the process is advanced, the law says, which I didn't create; it's from before. If the process is moving forward, there's no extradition," the Colombian president announced.
In addition, he stated:"And advanced means human beings in places where they have already decided to abandon violence and weapons. Weapons are not handed over, they are destroyed."
This announcement by the President of the Republic is expected to receive a response from the government of the United States President, Donald Trump.
On the other hand, at that same event, Petro openly questioned Trump's authorization of a secret CIA operation in Venezuela, which aims to continue attacking drug trafficking structures in the neighboring country, with the so-called Cartel of the Suns, which, according to the US, is led by the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
"That can only be processed within the United Nations and that already has as close consequences a possible invasion of the Republic of Venezuela," said the head of state.
He added: "With consequences, our right wing applauds this. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the policies pursued by the current Venezuelan government because I didn't recognize it. I'm not going there," the Colombian president noted.
"But I know what can happen in Colombia, and that is my responsibility, if missiles fall there. Or, as they're announcing today, if violent activity by CIA agents, they say, or by marines, or as we already know, by missiles targeting unarmed civilians, whether they're part of the drug trafficking network or not," Petro emphasized.
Finally, he stated:"Because it's violating the resolution of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which unanimously approved the Colombian resolution. We're going to have this problem here, because those who have appeared in the videos—some, I think, or two, I don't know, general, minister—have extradition orders. So let's start by solving the problem we're in."
