Global cocaine production hit a record 1,982 tonnes in 2020, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime—up by 11% on the year before
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThere is no shortage of people willing to plant and harvest coca; and there is no shortage of cocaine. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , global production hit a record 1,982 tonnes in 2020. That number is up by 11% on the year before, and nearly double the amount produced in 2014 . When Richard Nixon, then America’s president, launched his “war on drugs” in 1971, the flow of cocaine into America was a trickle.
Huge profits give gangs both the incentive and the resources to adapt to whatever law enforcement can throw at them. In Colombia, decades of eradication attempts beginning in the early years of this century led, at first, to a fall in production. But it has since roared back, as plantations have moved into more remote and lawless places. At the same time, gangs have been boosting the productivity of their crops.
Innocent bystanders are often terrorised. In Flor de Ucayali, in Peru, 76 indigenous families live around a clearing of forest near the edge of the Utuquinia river. For years their land has been encroached upon by illegal coca plantations. Last year the police inspected some of the coca fields and destroyed a few maceration ponds, in which harvested coca leaves are soaked with water, lime and kerosene as part of the cocaine-production process.
Peru has therefore long permitted the growing of 22,000 hectares of coca by around 34,000 farmers who are registered with the government. They sell their crop to the only authorised buyer, Enaco, a state-owned firm. It is a similar story in Bolivia. In 2012 the country’s government, then headed by Evo Morales, withdrew from the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, a treaty from 1961 which aims to harmonise its signatories’ drug policies.
It is a similar tale in Peru, where the area under cultivation rose by 30% in 2021 to just under 81,000 hectares. Once again, that is far in excess of the government-mandated limit. And the state-sponsored system is leaky. The official registry of farms has not been significantly updated since it was first created in 1979, making it hard to keep track of what is being grown where. Enaco also tends to offer low prices. The amount of coca leaf it has managed to buy has halved in the past 20 years.
Danmark Seneste Nyt, Danmark Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også læse nyheder, der ligner denne, som vi har indsamlet fra andre nyhedskilder.
NOPEC Bill Won’t Bring Oil Prices Down | OilPrice.comThe Biden Administration’s efforts to keep OPEC+ from cutting production once again have failed, and despite the anger in Washington, a NOPEC bill might not be productive for the U.S.
Læs mere »
Jet2 air hostess high on cocaine caught drug-driving twice in 24 hoursA woman who was caught drug-driving twice in 24 hours by the same police patrolman has been slapped with a hefty fine - but walked free from court.
Læs mere »
Drugs seized and 19 arrested in Darlington county lines raidOfficers raided houses in the Darlington area and found cocaine, MDMA and vulnerable people.
Læs mere »
First snow predicted as 'conditions turn colder' later this monthForecasts suggest temperatures could start to take a tumble from the week commencing October 25
Læs mere »
Experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 is associated with poorer mental healthExperiencing symptoms of COVID-19 is associated with poorer mentalhealth kingscollegelon TheLancet
Læs mere »
Alex Belfield: MP seeks inquiry over female BBC staff harassed onlineLabour MP Barry Sheerman says the BBC failed to protect female staff harassed by Alex Belfield.
Læs mere »