His first leftist president ColombiaGustavo Petro was sworn in in Bogota yesterday in front of hundreds of thousands of people who attended his inauguration ceremony.

“I swear to God and I promise the people that I will faithfully respect the Constitution and laws of Colombia,” said the 62-year-old former senator and ex-partisan.

“War on Drugs Failed”

In his inaugural address, Petros called for an end to the so-called “War on Drugs”, saying it had failed. Instead, he proposed replacing it with “consumption prevention policies” in developed countries.

“The time has come for a new international pact that recognizes that the war on drugs has failed,” said the new president of Colombia, the world’s number one producer of cocaine.

In addition, Gustavo Petro promised the armed organizations that continue to operate in the country “judicial benefits” if they agree to restore peace.

“We call on (…) all armed organizations to lay down their arms”, “to accept legal advantages in exchange for peace, a final end to violence,” he said.

International Foundation for the Amazon

Petro also proposed the creation of an international fund to protect the Amazon rainforest, which is undergoing accelerated deforestation.

“Where is the international fund for saving the Amazonian forests? (…) We can turn the entire population of the Colombian (part of) Amazon into forest protectors, but for this we need funding from all over the world,” he said.

To protect the “lungs of the planet”, Mr. Petros considered that the international community could reduce its external debt in order to fund “save our forests” and “reforestation” initiatives.

“Let’s reduce the external debt and spend the surplus on saving the lives of mankind. If the IMF (International Monetary Fund) helps turn debt into real action to address the climate crisis, we will have a prosperous new economy and a new life for humanity,” he said.

Colombia’s new president has campaigned promising to accelerate the clean energy transition and curb deforestation in the Amazon, an ecosystem considered critical for absorbing greenhouse gases.

Colombia lost at least 7,018 square kilometers of forest during the reign of predecessor Ivan Duque (2018-2022), according to conservation organizations.

Massive fires are the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon forests in Colombia. Behind them are intensive animal husbandry, agricultural land and, in particular, the cultivation of coca, a plant that is a raw material in the cocaine production process.

According to APE-MPE, AFP