3k tons of cocaine: controversial figure pits Colombia against the UN
10 days ago
- #Cocaine
- #UNODC
- #Colombia
- Colombia's cocaine production for 2024 is estimated at 3,001 tons, but the accuracy of this figure is disputed.
- President Gustavo Petro has refused to release official cocaine production numbers, citing unreliable methodology.
- The UNODC's measurement system is criticized for extrapolating data from one region to the entire country over a four-year cycle.
- Coca cultivation in Colombia reached a record 261,000 hectares, though growth rates are slowing.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Petro of being a 'drug leader' and sanctioned Colombia, escalating bilateral tensions.
- Petro's administration emphasizes drug seizures (over 2,700 tons) and anti-narcotics policies that respect human rights.
- The UNODC acknowledges limitations in its methodology and is negotiating a review with Colombia's Ministry of Justice.
- A proposed new metric, 'available cocaine,' could better measure state efforts by accounting for seizures and other factors.
- The 2023 UNODC report showed a misleading 53% increase in potential cocaine production due to flawed regional assessments.
- Petro demands the UNODC admit its methodological errors, which he claims led to Colombia's decertification by the U.S.