Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Wednesday said guerrilla group the FARC could help in the war against drugs once peace had been achieved.
One of the fundamental issues in the peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas which begins in two weeks, is the fight against drugs, according to Santos.
Speaking in New York, the president called for the FARC to become allies in the struggle against illegal drug-trafficking in the country that has been the world’s number one cocaine producer over the past 20 years.
“If we can have the FARC as allies in the war against drug-trafficking, it would be a very important step for Colombia and for the whole world,” said Santos
The president said that the present conditions have great possibilities to achieve a solution to the armed conflict.
Drug trafficking has been one of the FARC’s main sources of income to finance the guerrillas’ war against the Colombian state. The rebel group is mostly involved in the cultivating and initial processing of coca leaves to coca paste, which is then sold to drug trafficking organizations.