President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia has appealed to America for help in eradicating coca crops after Colombia returned to the top of the world-producing table
Colombia has overtaken Peru to be the world’s largest producer of cocaine, according to newly-released information likely to dismay President Juan Manuel Santos and his American allies.
The UN's latest figures show that last year Colombia grew more coca than Peru and Bolivia combined. In 2014 Colombia had 69,000 hectares of coca; Peru had 42,900 and Bolivia 20,400.
The UN estimates that cocaine production will rise 52 per cent in 2015, after the government halted aerial spraying of the crop, citing concerns that the herbicides used may cause cancer. Experts also believe that the surge in cocaine planting is due to farmers believing that a peace deal with Farc rebels, due to be signed by March, will see benefits for those who abandon their coca crops. Jorgan Andrews, director of the narcotics section at the American embassy in Bogota, told The Washington Post that the belief was that those who had the most crop would be compensated the most.
Update: Colombia is again the world’s top coca producer. Here’s why that’s a blow to the U.S. (Washington Post).
WNU Editor: There is some (albeit small) hope .... Colombia farmers make switch from cocaine to cocoa (Bloomberg).
