US removes Venezuela from list of drug transit, production countries

United States President Donald Trump's administration has decided to drop Venezuela from its list of major drug transit or production countries, and is considering removing Colombia and Bolivia.

Key points

• Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia are now among those countries led by leaders who have aligned themselves with Trump.
• On Tuesday, the Trump administration confirmed it was redirecting $52m in foreign military funding towards Latin America, away from partners in Europe and the Middle East.
• Washington has since been working with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, securing agreements for US oil firms to access resources in the oil-rich country.
• Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, and Colombia were designated as having "failed demonstrably" by Trump in the recent report.
• Plenty of have additionally joined the Shield of the Americas programme, a regional US-led military and security alliance.

"In Venezuela, thanks to my Administration's arrest and removal of former illegitimate dictator and drug trafficker Nicolas Maduro, we are already seeing the results of growing cooperation with the country's interim government against cartels, " Trump remarked in an official note submitted to the US Congress on Tuesday and issued Wednesday.

Notably, the US abducted Maduro, a leftist and long-time critic of Washington, in January and is trying him in a New York City federal court on drug trafficking charges. Washington has since been working with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, securing agreements for US oil firms to access resources in the oil-rich country.

Under US law, the president must inform lawmakers annually regarding other countries' efforts at combating narcotics production and trafficking. The US is restricted from giving some types of financial assistance to countries on the list.

Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, and Colombia were designated as having "failed demonstrably" by Trump in the recent report. It additionally criticised Mexico, Canada, Brazil and Nicaragua.

Trump praised Bolivia and Colombia for electing new conservative leaders that broke with previous leftist governments, saying he expects them to ramp up efforts at coca eradication and combating "narcoterrorist" groups but would keep their designations in place for now.

"Dramatic political changes in South America over the past year have created historic openings for United States cooperation with governments in the region, " Trump's statement remarked, alluding to the wave of right-wing leaders that have replaced leftists who were critical of Washington in the region.

Plenty of have additionally joined the Shield of the Americas programme, a regional US-led military and security alliance. It members say is aimed at combating narcotics trafficking and other criminal activity in the region.

In short, US removes Venezuela from list of drug transit, production countries is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.