The U.S. House Appropriations Committee expressed concerns on Wednesday about growing reports of drug abuse “at the highest levels” of the government of Colombia in a report presented by Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) for the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) FY2026 appropriations bill.
Rep. Díaz-Balart’s report cites the “detrimental policies, erratic behavior, and malign relationships” pursued by the administration of far-left President Gustavo Petro “at odds with United States security and economic interests” as reasons for a 50-percent reduction in U.S. funding to Colombia for FY2026, a drop of roughly $209 million.
Colombia is one of the United States’ oldest allies in South America, having first established diplomatic relations over 200 years ago in 1822. Over the course of this year, Petro, a former member of the Marxist M19 terrorist group and Colombia’s first leftist president ever, has strained Colombia’s relationship with the United States, especially days after President Donald Trump took office in January.
Petro has single-handedly caused several diplomatic impasses between the countries and, without evidence, accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Díaz-Balart of scheming to oust him from power. Petro reportedly apologized to President Trump in a letter for disparaging Rubio.
The report presented by Rep. Díaz-Balart at the House Appropriations Committee detailed the deep relationship between the United States and the people of Colombia, its armed forces, and national police, expressing concern over the erratic behavior of Petro and his administration.
The report reads in part:
The Committee is concerned by increased reports of drug abuse in Colombia, including at the highest levels of government, and directs the Secretary of State to consult with the Committees on Appropriations not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act on opportunities to implement demand reduction programming in Colombia.
Petro’s former Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva published two explosive letters this year in which he accused the leftist president of suffering from drug addition problems based on “direct knowledge” obtained during his tenure as foreign minister. He called on Petro to consider stepping down from the presidency in light of his alleged drug addiction. The letters did not identify the substances that Petro allegedly consumes.
Petro refuted Leyva’s accusations, accusing him of plotting a coup with Rep. Díaz-Balart. Rep. Díaz-Balart responded to Petro’s accusations at the time by urging him to “seek professional help with [his] addiction problem.”
The far-left president has maintained a longstanding, vocal pro-cocaine stance in public and his policies on the drug have led to a record-high surge in Colombian cocaine production. Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, a highly controversial figure who is part of Petro’s inner circle of trust, has publicly admitted to suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. At press time, the Investigation and Impeachment Committee of the Colombian House of Representatives has an ongoing inquiry open on the drug allegations against Petro.
Benedetti criticized the House Committee report’s claims of drug abuse among members of the Colombian government and reduction in U.S. funding to Colombia, asserting to reporters that it is “the pot calling the kettle black.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black, because if there is one country where cocaine consumption is highest and where cocaine use was invented, so to speak, it is in the United States,” Benedetti claimed, “on Wall Street, where there are more prisoners per square meter for drug trafficking and cocaine use. It is in the United States where fentanyl was invented, which is the drug that kills the most people.”
“It is in the United States where the fewest tons are seized at the borders. In other words, the United States is where cocaine and drugs thrive and reign supreme. So we say that thing ourselves,” he continued.
Benedetti did not accuse President Donald Trump or his cabinet of personally consuming drugs.
The House Committee noted the deteriorating security environment and rising political volatility in Colombia in light of the recent assassination attempt against conservative senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay, who was shot by a child in early June. Recent reports indicate that high-ranking members of the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army (FARC), a terrorist organization, are behind the attack on Uribe.
The Committee also expressed its concern over reports of due process violations and judicial irregularities such as allegations of unauthorized surveillance, denial of defense rights, and conflicts of interest in the ongoing trial against conservative former President Alvaro Uribe Vélez (no relation to Miguel Uribe), who stands accused of procedural fraud and witness bribery charges. A ruling on the trial is reportedly expected to be issued on Monday, July 28.
The report Rep. Díaz-Balart (R-FL) submitted says:
Questions of politicization raise serious concerns about the deterioration of judicial independence and the rule of law in Colombia. The challenges observed in Colombia reflect a troubling pattern of threats to due process and judicial independence, serving as a reminder that these core democratic values must be protected worldwide.
The Committee notes that the Petro Administration has failed to effectively utilize United States assistance in advancing shared goals and objectives. Therefore, funds for Colombia are reduced by 50 percent from the fiscal year 2025 level for non-military assistance.
Petro is also known for delivering unhinged remarks and has fiercely criticized President Trump’s illegal migrant crackdown policies, going as far as to propose relocating the Statue of Liberty from New Jersey to the Colombian city of Cartagena. On Wednesday, Petro said that he will order the construction of a “Latin American beauty” in the likeness of the Statue of Liberty if he is not allowed to move the original from the U.S. to Colombia.
Rep. Díaz-Balart told Colombia’s W Radio this week that Congress is concerned over Petro’s actions and “what he is doing to destroy” the relationship between Colombia and the United States. The Congressman questioned Petro’s closeness with terrorist groups and authoritarian regimes, emphasizing that “the United States is not willing to accept that any government, ally or not, is helping the enemies of democracy throughout the world.”
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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