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America has formally labeled Colombia as a country that has “substantially neglected” its commitments to control narcotics trade, while refraining from halting American assistance to the nation.

Every year, the Washington formally certifies whether various nations are fully cooperating with US-led counternarcotic initiatives, and those judged inadequate face the possibility of having their US funding reduced.

Earlier this week, the US leadership announced that narcotics manufacturing in Colombia had increased to all-time high figures under its left-wing leader, Gustavo Petro, which the head of state rejected.

Reacting, the Colombian government declared it would stop acquiring military equipment from the US.

Interior Minister Armando Benedetti stated to media outlets that his government would stop the purchase of American weapons "immediately".

Additional countries the America said had not achieved their goals were the Central Asian nation, the South American country, Southeast Asian nation and Venezuela.

Colombia was added on the roster for the first time since 1997.

The action is likely to damage relations between its current administration and the American leadership.

President Petro used online platforms to respond to the US allegation that during his tenure the area cultivated with coca plants and the manufacture of cocaine had hit unprecedented amounts.

The plant are the primary component in cocaine, and the country has historically been the largest supplier of the illicit substance.

An analysis by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) revealed that growth of the crop had grown by ten percent in last year. Data for this year are due to be released next month.

But the president maintained that it had been during the administration of Iván Duque, who was in power from 2018 to 2022, that the area planted with coca experienced significant growth.

Per figures released by the administration, a record 1,764 metric tons of cocaine were seized by government security forces between when Petro took office and recently. Narcotics confiscations have persisted at a elevated rate in the current year, authoritative data indicate.

Petro also stated that for production of the plant to drop, what was needed was for use for cocaine to decrease in the America and in European countries.

The US on the other hand placed the blame directly at the president’s feet, stating that the president's dialogues with several militant organizations — several of whom finance themselves through drug trafficking — had hindered the fight against illegal substances.

"His failed attempts to seek accommodations with drug-trafficking organizations only intensified the problem," a presidential determination submitted to American lawmakers declared.

The document continues to praise the "competence and valor" of the nation’s military in combating illegal organizations.

The document added that "the inability of the country to meet its narcotics prevention commitments over the last twelve months rests solely with its government".

However, it does leave the door open to re-evaluating Colombia if its administration "takes more aggressive action to remove coca and lower cocaine production and trafficking".

And while the statements issued by Washington has provoked the leader, his administration will also be grateful that the labeling did not result in a reduction of the financial support, commentators point out.

Colombia's decertification occurs at a time when the US leader has made the struggle against "narco-terrorists" a priority.

Recently, he stated that the American armed forces had sank an suspected Venezuelan drug vessel in international waters in the tropical zone.

A number of persons were lost their lives in the operation, he said.

The leader also mentioned the America had obtained evidence that the vessels were owned by criminal networks but has yet to disclosed the information.