US imposes sanctions on Colombian president and his family
The US administration has decided to impose sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The measure was taken under Executive Order 14059, which targets foreign individuals involved in narcotics trafficking.
Alongside Petro, OFAC also designated several members of his inner circle, including his wife Verónica Alcocer, his son Nicolás Petro, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti.
According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, cocaine production in Colombia has surged to the highest levels in decades since Petro took office, fueling the U.S. drug crisis. Bessent accused Petro of allowing drug cartels to flourish under his “total peace” initiative and failing to take meaningful action against them.
Under the sanctions, all property and assets belonging to the designated individuals within U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. American citizens and entities are prohibited from conducting transactions with them.
The Treasury emphasized that the goal of these sanctions is not punitive but to encourage behavioral change, and that individuals can petition for removal from OFAC’s sanctions list if they meet legal conditions.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that the US Department of State would revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro following remarks he made outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.
