The United States has officially removed Venezuela from its list of countries failing to meet international counternarcotics commitments, citing advancements made by Venezuelan authorities. This change highlights a shift in Washington’s assessment of Venezuela’s efforts under interim President Delcy Rodríguez to combat drug trafficking organizations.
Venezuela’s removal from the list marks a significant change from previous years when it was designated as failing to meet its obligations. The U.S. administration noted progress in the country’s actions against drug-trafficking, signalling an improvement in its international cooperation on this issue.
Meanwhile, Colombia remains on the U.S. list of countries that have not demonstrated substantial efforts to meet international counternarcotics commitments over the past year. However, President Donald Trump indicated that Colombia could be removed from this list in the future if it shows further progress in reducing coca cultivation, cocaine production, and dismantling drug-trafficking networks.
The White House identified Colombia as one of four nations failing to meet these obligations, but Colombian officials have reiterated their commitment to targeting the entire drug-trafficking chain. This includes focusing on illicit crops, production facilities, trafficking routes, and criminal finances.
This latest decision underscores the ongoing focus of the United States on improving counternarcotics collaboration with Latin American countries. Both Venezuela and Colombia continue to be recognized as major drug-transit or illicit drug-producing countries for the fiscal year 2027, yet Venezuela’s status has been upgraded as it is no longer classified as failing demonstrably in its counternarcotics efforts.