Colombia is no longer considered the world’s largest producer of pure cocaine, having been surpassed by Peru, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States.
The information was released Wednesday in testimony before the U.S. Senate regarding U.S.-Andean security cooperation.
The three major cocaine producing countries in the world are still Peru, Colombia and Bolivia, all of which are Andean nations, with Peru now thought to be the largest producer.
The Peruvian President Ollanta Humala expressed his disappointment about the news at a press conference. “That is a record that, if it is true, should make us very sad because it is not something to be proud about,” said the Peruvian leader.
According to the report by the DEA, Colombia is still the world’s largest cultivator of coca.
Colombian statistics agency DANE released data relating to coca cultivation in Colombia Wednesday, and concluded that the land used for coca cultivation in the country has decreased by 62% in ten years. The figures were produced using data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.