Statements from Petro’s government and the Historic Pact on drugs are as trustworthy as those of Duque, Santos and Uribe. In their haste to show results they resort to deception or statements not sustained by any real figures.
So much so that, a few days prior to publishing his drug policy, Petro declared victory in the war on coca due to the increase in fentanyl consumption in the USA.
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| Coca crop growing in Colombia (photo cred: GOL) |
It didn’t matter that his actual drug policy that he later published stated the exact opposite, something I have dealt with in a previous article.1
Once again they announce a victory on the basis of imprecise figures. Gustavo Bolívar through his twitter account states that:
Once again they announce a victory on the basis of imprecise figures. Gustavo Bolívar through his twitter account states that:
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| Picked coca leaves (photo cred: GOL) |
The figures are not false, but they portray a falsehood. Bolívar wants us to believe that the price of coca leaf has fallen over the course of this government, compared to previous ones.
He also wants us to believe that the price of cocoa is due to the policies of the current government and the increase in crops can be explained by the same reason.
However, the same documents from the government give us a price for a kilo of coca leaf in 2021 or $2,300 pesos, which significantly lower than the $6,000 cited by Bolívar for 2024.4 The UN has come up with similar figures. Thus the price has risen not fallen since 2021.
Also, Bolívar doesn’t cite any figures of the price of base or paste, or the final product. Many peasants usually process the coca leaf rather than sell it on, though the sale of coca leaf does take place.
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| Cocao “pods” in tree (photo cred: GOL) |
As for the cocoa, the area sown has doubled between 2009 and 2022, rising from 109,357 hectares to 229,974 hectares.5 Though it is worth pointing out that the UN uses lower figures on this.
Every government saw in cocoa a cash crop, even before Plan Colombia when the USA included it as a crop to promote amongst coca-growing peasants.
In 2006, the infamous minister of agriculture, Andrés Felipe Arias included cocoa as one of the main crops he wanted to promote through his Export Drive awarding subsidies, loans and tax benefits to those who grow cocoa.6
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| Cocao “beans” in the harvested fruit (photo cred: GOL) |
In 2009, the year in which the slow rise in the planting of cocoa began, the Dioceses of Tumaco warned about a number of projects that, in its opinion, damaged the communities, amongst them, the monoculture of cocoa.7
This monoculture was not achieved through large companies, but rather through thousands of small scale producers, all growing the same.
In many parts, including the cocoa municipalities par excellence of Carmen de Chucurí and San Vicente de Chucurí in the department of Santander, the monoculture of cocoa is the end result of the planting by thousands of small scale producers.
It accounts for 25% of arable land in the department.
Then with the Plan Diamante proposals for the “development” of the north of the country, they didn’t just talk of road infrastructure such as the Ruta del Sol, but they also talked about cocoa and other cash crops such as African palm.8 There is nothing new under the sun.
So coca is more expensive than when Petro won the presidency and the increase in the production of cocoa has nothing to do with this government.
It is an old policy, which has not been able to undo the fall in the international price of cocoa since the 1970s, despite an increase at the beginning of this century due to wars in the Ivory Coast. It is a policy that sectors of the left criticised.
There are sectors that continue to criticise these proposals and there are left sectors who have jobs in the current government and pay more attention to their bank balance.
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| Coca processing lab, Colombia (photo cred: GOL) |
But, if we wish to discuss drug policy we need transparency and honesty from this government.
Petro’s previous declarations on this issue leave a lot to be desired and this latest statement from Gustavo Bolívar indicates that just like the Catholic nuns in the schools, he believes that appearances are more important than being.
Petro’s government will come to end without resolving this problem, it is beyond the ability of any one government, but neither will it have done anything of substance, but will, without a doubt present a report that says the exact opposite.
Notes
1: Ó Loingsigh, G. (25/09/2023) Coca, Fentanilo y Política de Drogas en Colombia.
2: As of July 4th 2024, there were 4,089 pesos to the dollar and in 2021, 4,024 approximately.
3: See.
4: Véase Boletín Sobre Precios de las Drogas Ilícitas. Año 2021.
5: See.
6: Ó Loingsigh, G. (2007) El Catatumbo: Un Reto Por La Verdad. Bogotá. CISCA. Pp. 191-195
7: Diócesis de Tumaco (2009) ¡Que nadie diga que no pasa nada! Balance No. 1, Tumaco pág 51
⏩ Gearóid Ó Loingsigh is a political and human rights activist with extensive experience in Latin America.
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