Figures provided by the Colombian opposition parties suggest that the
drug trade affects economic productivity in Colombia and is lowering
the country’s GDP by two points.
Liberal Senator Camilo Sánchez asked the Central Bank of Colombia to
evaluate the effect of the drug trade on the Colombian economy. He made the request during a Senate debate over how the government plans to deal with the global economic crisis and its effect on Colombia.
Sánchez also said that the maintenance of the Government’s “democratic security” policy requires extensive resources. He suggested to Finance Minister Óscar Iván
Zuluaga that he find a way to continue with property tax after 2010 to finance government expenses.
Both the Liberal Party and their opposition partners Polo Democrático insist that the national economy is not protected from the negative effects of the drug trade enough and saying otherwise would be to lie to the Colombian people.