Booming cocaine production suggests the war on drugs has failed
EconomistNov 03, 2022
The Facts
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime stated in a report released on Monday that the estimated cocaine output in Colombia — the world's biggest producer of the drug — increased by 24% in 2022, soaring to 1,738 tons and setting a new record high.
This comes as satellite images showed the area cultivated with coca leaf, the raw material for refined cocaine, rose to 230K hectares (roughly 570K acres) last year in the country.
The Spin
Left narrative
The decades-long war on drugs has completely failed to stop the flow of cocaine, as huge profits encourage drug trafficking gangs to adapt their smuggling methods to prevent law enforcement as well as to boost their productivity. As global production soars and the world gets awash with cocaine, it's evident that full-on decriminalization might be the only way to stem the violence.
Right narrative
Given that the international community has adhered to a unified drug prohibition approach, Petro has been dangerously putting Colombia on the brink of becoming a narco-state by changing the course of the war on drugs. Legalizing the cocaine trade in the country will have negative security implications not only for Colombia but for the entire hemisphere.