This “sharp” increase, according to INCB, is primarily due to clauses in the peace deal signed late last year between the Colombian government and the FARC, the country’s largest guerrilla group.
Why cocaine production in Colombia increased so dramatically
As part of the agreement, both sides agreed to work together to reduce coca production in the country and provide alternative crop initiatives for coca farmers.
It also noted that the government’s discontinuation of glyphosate spraying in 2015 also contributed to the increase in coca cultivation.
Colombia aims to get rid of 100,000 hectares of coca in 2017
South America remains the main cocaine producer and supplier to markets around the world. However, the region has also seen an increase in the personal consumption of the drug, rivaling consumption levels in North America, according to El
The INCB report warns that increase in drug usage is becoming more prevalent in Colombia and this is also a factor in the continued upsurge in production levels.
The use of marijuana has also increased in the region, particularly in Uruguay, where consumption increased sixfold between 2001 and 2011.
In 2013, under then-President Jose Mujica, the country also passed a law legalizing the drug’s recreational use, which has been criticized by the ICBN for violating the UN’s prohibitionist drug policies.