BOGOTA, Sept 16, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The United States has decertified Colombia as an ally in the fight against drugs, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday, confirming a decision that could cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars in US military support. 

"The United States is decertifying us after dozens of deaths of police officers and soldiers" in the fight against drug cartels and leftist guerrillas funded by drug trafficking, the leftist president told a cabinet meeting.

The decision is seen as punishment by US President Donald Trump for the failure by the world's biggest cocaine producer to curb cultivation of coca, the key ingredient in cocaine, and trafficking of the drug to global markets.

It comes amid a major drive by Trump against drug cartels, in which US forces have blown up two suspected Venezuelan drug boats, killing a total of 14 people.

Since coming to power in 2022, Petro has championed a paradigm shift in the US-led war on drugs, which he considers a failure, to tackling the social problems that fuel drug trafficking.

Since 2022, coca cultivation has increased by about 70 percent, according to Colombian government and UN estimates.

The government has accused various left-wing guerrilla groups, with which it engaged in peace talks, of taking advantage of the negotiations to expand their drug operations.

The decertification is a major blow for Colombia, coming as the military and police reel from a string of deadly attacks by the guerrillas.

Washington's disavowal of Petro had been expected since January, when he became embroiled in a blazing row with Trump over migrant deportations.