Coca and cocaine in the Andes

Mixed signals among the coca bushes

An apparent fall in cocaine production conceals the remarkable resilience of an illegal industry

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Readers' comments



The focus is entirely in the wrong place, the only way to kill drug trade is to kill demand. How you do that is the question, prohibition doesn't work... Americans/Europeans are entirely disconnected from the reality that the drugs they use as recreation funds terrorism... Possession of drugs in any amount should be treated with the gravity it deserves, people know small amounts will just mean a slap on the wrist...



What american tax payers ought to be asking is why America spends not billions but trillions in places like Iraq, Afganistan and Pakistan, not to mention thousands of american lives and tens of thousands of civilians.

Should Colombia which is less than 2 hrs flight from US coasts, fall to a terrorist group (FARC) under the wing of Chavez, it would make Afganistan look like child's play for American national security and American interests in the whole region.

The paltry 7 or so billion spent in Plan Colombia so far has yielded great results (read the article). It sounds more like its well spent money. In fact, if the US government really wanted this problem solved, a more decisive co-operation should be in the pipeline.


I remember when Ronald Reagan, back in the 1980s announced his "war on drugs". The aim was to fund Colombia to tackle its drug problem and defeat the rebels. He threw Billions of US $'s at the problem, not millions, $Billions. A policy that the US has done since Reagan's era. I think US taxpayers ought to be questioning how much money you can throw at a corrupt 'ally' government that embezzles the funds, whilst keeping the people in the rural areas poor? Money that's going from bad to worse! Clearly if the problem hasn't been solved in what, nearly 30 years now, don't you all think its time to try something different?


@ Raginrapid,

Your posts reflect comments made by someone who knows very little about this topic. The previous government (Patrana 98-02) DID try holding peace talks and giving the FARC an area of 42.000 sq.kmts. (the size of Switzerland). In exchange what we got from them [FARC] was: more coca, more cocaine, more IDP's, more kidnapped civilians, more atrocties, etc.

You may think you really know it all, well my friend you know NOTHING!


Funny how those who oppose (obviously legal) free trade agreements between Colombia and the U.S. point out to internally displaced figures, human rights abuses, persecution of unionists, etc. In reality all of the above, plus terrosism (no eufemism here), massacres, environmental destruction, etc. stem from narcotics trade NOT FREE TRADE.

Coca is grown in remote areas providing an incentive for poor peasants to go deeper into more remote areas, this creates displacement in the first place. By contrast, free trade will open job opportunities and formal jobs in places where infrastructure is in place.

Colombia and the region as a whole, need foreign investment and jobs to keep defeating the narcos. What Colombia does not need is well-intentioned idiotic types who keep preaching legalization and ideas who play to the tune of FARC.


To BdBogota: Whilst I concede the point that both sides have committed horrible atrocities(I note that you only highlight the atrocities committed by the FARC and conveniently leave out those done at the hands of the paramilitary right wing thugs!) and whilst I concede the point that the peace process is stalled; that still doesn't mean that a peace process is unecessary. Just like most long term wars, only power sharing works. Look at Northern Ireland for inspiration. As to your other comment about failed communist states, you clearly have little understanding of the difference between a socialist state and bureaucratic collectivism. Might I suggest you read the works of Trotsky and Lenin before you again mistake Russia or China for a Communist state? The Russian revolution was overthrown by a military dictator (Stalin) and turned towards Bureaucratic Collectivism and China and Cuba followed suit. Cuba of course realised its mistake and is only now moving towards socialism. I am indeed a student of history, with a sound knowledge of political theory. I agree the FARC are a far cry from socialists unlike the ELN. Still peace needs to be made in your country for the drugs to end.

Neil Kitson

By the way, who IS Anonio Maria Costas and how did he get his job?

How is UNODC policy determined and what is its authority to impose it (in, say, Afghanistan)?

What IS UNODC and why is Colombia its biggest financier?


To "ragingrapid:" In fact, President Uribe has been repeatedly trying to negotiate a "land for peace - plus amesty, education, social re-incorporation, jobs, etc." deal with the FARC for years which has been met with wholly unacceptable and unrealistic counterproposals, not the least of which is an utter refusal to disarm. Why? Because, in reality, the FARC is not a "rebel/political" group representing the downtrodden at all but rather a marketing and political/paramilitary tool of the local narco-traficantes who finance the FARC's operations so as to deflect attention away from themselves and create a wall of protection between them and the government. FARC leaders' families live in countries like Switzerland, attend the finest private schools and party with the elite of Europe. If you lived in Colombia long enough to know the truth, you would know that the FARC routinely exterminates or displaces whole rural populations who they claim to represent (Colombia is second in the world behind the Sudan in number of "desplazados." Who is doing the displacing?) in order to claim their land, kidnaps, steals from and kills innocents, bombs social and commercial buildings,and cooperates with countries like Ecuador and Venezuela to hide and propagate their wholly commercial and selfish political agenda. Idealogues? Don't be silly! It's all about the money. The thought that a FARC leader would have more genuine concern than President Uribe does for the welfare of even the poorest of Colombians would have to emanate from someone who has no idea of the conditions on the ground. Plus, Colombia is, under Uribe, having true success in its battle with the FARC, who have lately been reduced to little more than a few thousand, poorly-led, jungle-inhabiting illiterate 14-year olds with AKMs supported and concealed by the governments of Ecuador and Venezuela in exchange for billions in drug-produced income. They have virtually ceased being a serious threat to the welfare of Colombia on any appreciable level and even Chavez has quietly realized that, in backing them, he bet on the wrong horse, politically speaking. If you are a student of recent history, politics and economy, you would know that there is not one country in the world where a purely Communist or ultra-leftist government has improved the lives of its poorest citizens, let alone expanded the all-important middle class. Only a responsible and responsive (benevolent) form of capitalism improves the lives of its citizens (think Soviet Russia, Venezuela under Chavez, Cuba under Castro, China under Mao, etc...but look at China and Viet Nam, now with liberalized, individualized, capitalist-based economies!). "A rising tide raises all boats." And I would add: "...except the ones with holes in their keels, which are destined to sink, anyway." Ultra-leftist and Communist ideologies have demonstrably and irreversibly been relegated to the scrapheap of history. And the pretenders, like the FARC, are inevitably doomed to fail over time also.


The war on Drugs, is just a simple way of the USA justifying a large amount of military aid to Colombia and Peru in order to crush its rebels in the bush whom, depend on the crop to help finance their war against the Capitalist/military regimes of those two countries. If one really wanted to tackle the drug problem, in a sane way, one could look to Thailand, who has had remarkable success. Of course, they don't have a civil war going on in their backyard so the real solution is to make peace with the rebels and give them an autonomous region in exchange for peace and an end to coca growing. Colombia would never do this with the FARC though, it thinks it can win via a military solution, its been thinking that for well over 20 years now, without success.


As is so often the case, most discussions regarding the illegal drug industry, particularly with regard to cocaine, address the immediate problem and fail to address the underlying issues. In truth, the places where cocaine growth and distribution flourish benefit monumentally from its sale as it provides great profitability and therefore has great financial impact on the local or, in the case of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela, national economies. Drug profiteers are sub rosa investment bankers, purchasers of luxury goods and services and partners in other industries (such as construction) in which they hide or invest their incredible and untaxed profits. Drug lords and their money launderers are among the wealthiest and most influential people in the world, financing armies that, in many instances, are stronger and better organized than those of the countries in which they are located. In what used to be called "third world countries" (now "developing nations"), the loss of drug profits would have a substantial, if not fatal, effect on the overall economy and the standard of living of the locals. Even in the US, most of the Gold Coast of south Florida in the 70's and 80's from Miami to Boca Raton was built in large measure by drug money laundered through local banks. And what would be the effect in a country like Bolivia, for example, if drug profits suddenly dried up? What industry would be there to replace it to provide jobs, social programs, etc.? Add the income produced by the cocaine trade to the stated GDP of such small and underindustrialized countries and see how impactful it really is. This situation, which is only in part a "problem" and in many instances is of great benefit to the locals, will never be effectively eradicated through political means because too many people and businesses on both sides profit so immensely by its mere existence, and most realize its importance to the local economies. Plus, corruption is rampant both with respect to local policing and governance on one side and with those profiting from the so-called "war on drugs" on the other which, if it were measured in military terms, would have been declared lost a long time ago. Control of drug usage in the US and Europe will only be obtained once bioscience develops cures for addiction, but the "side effects" of such cures - or even of legalization itself - would be far-reaching and, in many instances, unintended and unfortunate. Sometimes there are questions without answers and problems without solutions. The "drug problem" verily may be one of them.


Every twofolded problem is not solvable fighting against one fold, Do you frankly do to solve it? Ok try to solve the consumption side first. Do not forget that eradication and media campaings against drug consumption pay a lot even before getting some results.


Extremely important that the levels of cocaine are exported to different countries in the world space in the United States and Europe of a radically diminished. We can not allow the world to live with this scourge that destroys lives and hence their families and loved ones.

It is important that the countries in question including PERU should make strenuous efforts to eradicate this scourge, with clear policies and help as much as possible of central intelligence, the world against this scourge, the important thing to be able to implement alternative programs such as the cultivation of other natural products that will enable families who produce coca in the Apurimac and Ene valleys have the same opportunities for development against this illegal production and kills the whole world.

The fight against this scourge in Peru led to unfortunate consequences as the death of brothers who are police officers on hand in the chest and struggling with an inadequate logistics deal with this scourge that so far, despite years of eradication is not achieved, the vast question is the one who fails, the government? The population of the world? or are we facing a great scourge whose dimensions are disproportionate. I believe in this last must vanish against this scourge with all our best efforts. I hope that the strategic plans and the efforts we made will bear fruit in the future and with the speed that this evil must be defeated.

I hope and desire to believe in a world where peace, harmony, where democracy and respect for the rights of the people in this world given that the world is free of such epidemics that they simply enlutecer the world with sadness, destruction and death. Forward Peruanos goodwill we never stop at this stop falgelo Peru and world deserves it. Adelante!

Vladimir Diaz Acuna
Lima - Peru

Farid Matuk

Being a Peruvian having a talk with Colombian friend about this issue, I raised other explanation for the fall on the total land dedicated to coca bushes.

Cocaine is a luxury good, and its income elasticity is well above one. The current economic crisis is reducing more than proporcional consumption of luxury goods. Therefore demand for cocaine is falling, and since coca leaf supply is ruled by demand, the surface of coca bushes lowers


The best and only way to completely stop the constant production of cocaine in countries like Colombia, is to better control the consumption of such in countries like the United States and many others in Eastern Europe. Unbeknownst to many people, cocaine represents a $3 - $5 Billion dollar business/year to the FARC; an amount hard to ignore in a country where almost 20% of the population lives with under $1 or $2/day. As long as the drug continued to be sought after by addicts; there will always be a group of individuals willing to manufacture the crop.

Ricardo Urdaneta

It is hardly surprising that the drug fighting agencies who keep score of their own performance have decided to advertise some success just when they see their livelyhood threatened by the growing concensus on the legalization of drugs.


Speaking as an unofficial spokesperson for the American Cocaine Manufacturer's Association (ACMA), I applaud governmental efforts to reduce the supply of coca. Their actions contribute substantially to the creation of entry level jobs and sales of cars, jets, yachts, and jewelry. Industry profits are soaring thanks to the reduced supply and seemingly unstoppable demand. Talk about a stimulus program. As we say in the industry, this one is way under the radar.


Agency's destroy coca plants- (1)Farmers lose their income and poverty increases in already poor countries (2)World supply of cocaine falls- Given constant demand prices rise- As prices rise street distributors become more territorial so to maintain control as supply falls- Increased territorialism drives up violence in cocaine importing countries...

Destroying crops is not the answer which I believe 'The Economist' already argued!


In the UK:

Around 100,000 people a year die from tobacco,
around 6,000 people a year die from alcohol (directly, in many more deaths it plays a part),
around 2,500 people a year die from drugs (all types, all causes), (about the same as those who die on the roads).

So where's the action on spraying and uprooting tobacco plants?


And most bizarrely, these price rises touted as a "success" will only reward and encourage the traffickers even more.


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