Colombian Cocaine Production Neared Record Levels in 2021
President-elect Gustavo Petro has promised to rethink drug policy in the South American country and prioritize development programs over coca eradication schemes.
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Cocaine production in Colombia remained near record levels in 2021, according to estimates released by the White House, reports Reuters. The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy said that Colombia produced approximately 972 tons of cocaine last year, mainly exported to the United States. At the same time, 234,000 hectares were planted with coca, the plant used to make the illicit drug. The figures for cocaine production are slightly lower than in 2020, when the nation produced 994 tons of cocaine and planted 245,000 hectares of coca. However, production is still significantly higher than ten years ago, when Colombia produced an estimated 273 tons of the drug. President-elect Gustavo Petro has promised to rethink drug policy in the South American country and prioritize development programs over coca eradication schemes.
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