President Trump says he won't rule out decertifying Colombia as a partner in the drug war after a record jump in cocaine production in the South American nation.
The surprise rebuke for Washington's staunchest ally in Latin America came Wednesday in the White House's annual designation of nations it deems major drug-producing or transit zones.
Of the 22 nations on the list only two, Venezuela and Bolivia, were deemed not to be fulfilling their international obligations to combat drug production and trafficking.
In a statement, Trump said he "seriously considered'' adding Colombia to the list of negligent countries but decided against that due to the country's status as a strong security partner of the U.S.
Coca production in Colombia has surged more than 200 percent since 2013.
