In a surprise ruling, a high court has legalized drug use in Colombia, the world's main supplier of cocaine and site of a drug war that has killed thousands of people.
The ruling puts Colombia on a collision course with Washington, which has already accused the Bogota government of leniency toward drug traffickers and halted evidence-sharing in drug cases.The Constitutional Court ruling late Thursday legalized possession and use of small amounts of cocaine, marijuana, hashish and hallucinogens. The production, trafficking and sale of drugs remain illegal.
The ruling angered President Cesar Gaviria, who called it "absurd."
But he responded defiantly when asked by reporters about reaction from Washington. "I think that's irrelevant. It's an internal issue," Gaviria said.
The Bogota government has grown increasingly defensive about what it considers Washington's meddling in Colombian affairs and complains the United States has not done enough to halt U.S. drug consumption and money laundering.
After the ruling, Constitutional Court President Carlos Arango told reporters the court "does not judge laws based on the opinion of the United States."
Earlier this year, Prosecutor-general Gustavo de Greiff drew criticism from Washington by negotiating lenient sentences with drug traffickers and advocating legalization of the entire drug trade.