Cocaine production rises to record levels in Colombia
Cocaine cultivation and production on a farm in Colombia
NOS News•today, 2024-10-19 10:51
translated from dutch: https://nos.nl/artikel/2541323-cocaineproductie-stijgt-in-colombia-naar-recordhoogte
In Colombia, coca leaf cultivation has reached record levels. The area where coca leaves are grown increased by ten percent last year. Coca leaves are the main ingredient for cocaine. The UN has been monitoring the extent of coca leaf cultivation in Colombia since 2001. The latest report from the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that cocaine production has never been this high. In one year, production grew from 1.7 million kilos (2022) to 2.6 million kilos (2023), an increase of 53 percent.
Colombian authorities have been trying to crack down on drug trafficking for years, but the country remains one of the largest cocaine producers in the world. Cocaine production has increased steadily over the past ten years. Most cocaine is destined for Europe and the United States.
The areas in Colombia with the largest increase in cocaine production in 2023 were Cauca and Narino. In both regions, former members of the FARC guerrilla army, which was disbanded in 2017, are active in the drug trade.
FYI about similar developments in Brazil: https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/insurgency-illicit-trade-analyzing-farc-dissidents-cocaine-market
