Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that “cocaine is no worse than whisky,” as he suggested the multibillion dollar illicit trade in the drug could be “easily dismantled” if it was legalized worldwide.

In a first-of-its-kind, six-hour live broadcast ministerial meeting in the South American country, Colombian President Gustavo Petro argued that cocaine is only illegal because of global politics — further claiming that it can be consumed as casually as alcohol, according to a report.

The Colombian head of state exhorted the joys of cocaine use during a government meeting this week, downplaying its side effects and encouraging it to be legalized. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said during a government meeting on Wednesday that cocaine is only kept illegal around the world because of its origins in South America,

Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that cocaine is illegal primarily due to its Latin American origin, not because it is worse than whisky. He suggested that legalisation could dismantle the drug trade and highlighted the opioid fentanyl as a greater issue in the US.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro claimed Tuesday that cocaine is only illegal around the world because it's produced in Latin American countries, and that legalizing it would help strip power from cartels.

Gustavo Petro made the bizarre claim during a televised cabinet meeting, as the U.S. implemented more measures to curb the flow of illegal immigration and drugs from South America.