Global cocaine production hits "record high," U.N. drugs agency says
CBSNov 25, 2022
Peru's Coca Leaf Cultivation Reaches Record High
Image copyright: Thayne Tuason [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
On Monday, Peruvian anti-drug authorities said that land devoted to the cultivation of coca leaves in the country jumped by 18% to record highs in 2022, covering 95K hectares (367 square miles) and producing about 870 tonnes of cocaine.
The valley of Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro River (VRAEM) remains Peru's largest coca farming area, reportedly accounting for nearly 35.7K hectares. However, cultivation has notably increased on protected and indigenous lands along the Amazon borders with Brazil and Colombia, where international drug traffickers allegedly operate.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Aside from promoting deforestation, the expansion of coca crops in Peru is fueling the global supply of cocaine as criminal organizations successfully expand their consumer base both in traditional and new markets. The pandemic has disrupted efforts to remove coca plants, but Peru would have achieved better results had the previous Pedro Castillo government not renounced its harsh policies on drug trafficking.
Establishment-critical narrative
Most Peruvian coca growers are vulnerable small to medium-scale indigenous farmers trying to make a living for their families by producing the Andean traditional and sacred leaf to meet persistent demand in the black market. Given that there is no feasible financial alternative to coca crops, legalizing coca fields and stimulating demand in the legal market is the most sensible way to address this persistent issue.