The FARC is one of the world’s major drug cartels, Colombia’s Defense Minister, Juan Manuel Santos, said Thursday.
“Today, the FARC is one of the major drug cartels in the world and at least 50 of its leaders are solicited in extradition by the United States, not for terrorism but for drug trafficking,” said Santos in an interview with radio station La FM.
According to the Minister, the Colombian State continues to win its war on drugs. Proof would be that there has been a dramatic reduction in coca growth in areas where the FARC operate, particularly in Serranía de La Macarena and in Montes de Maria, Central and North Colombia and traditionally FARC strongholds.
A measurement made by the United Nations, which will be published in the next days, indicates that the coca growth decreased by 75 per cent in the region of La Macarena, the Minister said.
Santos compared terrorism and drug trafficking to the AH1N1 influenza, “they do not respect borders and take advantage of anyone who is too weak to defend himself”.