The United States has officially removed Venezuela from its list of countries that have demonstrably failed to meet international counternarcotics commitments, while indicating the potential for Colombia’s removal from the list next year should it show further progress. This development comes as the U.S. acknowledges advances by Venezuela in combating drug-trafficking organizations under interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Venezuela’s previous inclusion on the list has been a point of contention, but improvements in its efforts to curb drug trafficking have led to its reclassification. In contrast, Colombia remains on the list alongside three other countries, as it has not yet met the necessary international obligations in the fight against drugs, according to the White House.
President Donald Trump has suggested that Colombia could be removed from the list in the future if it demonstrates significant improvements in tackling coca cultivation, cocaine production, and drug-trafficking networks. Colombian officials have expressed their commitment to addressing the entire drug-trafficking chain, which includes targeting illicit crops, production facilities, and trafficking routes.
The U.S. decision underscores the ongoing focus on counternarcotics cooperation with Latin American countries. Both Venezuela and Colombia are still regarded by Washington as major drug-transit or illicit drug-producing countries for fiscal year 2027, though Venezuela is no longer classified as failing to meet its counternarcotics commitments.