Gil Kerlikowske, U.S. Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), announced that Colombian cocaine production fell 25% last year and that Peru and Bolivia are now top cultivators and exporters of the drug.
At a conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, the ¨drug czar¨ called the new data “historic.”
Last year Peru produced about 325 tons of cocaine, and Bolivia produced about 265 tons. The ONDCP study also reports a 72% decrease in the amount of cocaine production in Colombia, from approximately 700 tons in 2001 to 195 tons in 2011.
Voz de América said that the news reflects the close alliance between Colombia and the U.S. to combat narco-trafficking. Through Plan Colombia, the US has invested about $US 6 bn since 2000 in order to improve the judicial system, strengthen Colombian democracy, help develop the country and improve the country’s security.
According to an article by EFE, Kerlikowske also said that cocaine use in America has fallen 39% since 2006 and cocaine overdose deaths are down 41%, from 6,726 cases in 2006 to 3,988 in 2009, as revealed by data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
