Drugs: New record for cocaine production in Colombia in 2023

Cocaine production literally exploded in 2023 in Colombia, reaching a new historic record with an increase of 53%, indicates a joint report from the Colombian government and the UN drug agency (UNODC), released Friday in Bogota.

Cocaine hydrochloride production reached 2,664 tonnes last year, an increase of 53%, according to this report. Areas cultivated for coca, a crop that is the basis of cocaine of which Colombia is the world’s leading producer, are also increasing by 10%, now covering 253,000 hectares of Colombian territory.

“Contrary to the increase observed between 2021 and 2022, which was strongly concentrated in the department of Putumayo (southwest, bordering Ecuador), the growth this time is more generalized”.

«Zones d’expansion»

“It concerns sixteen of the 19 departments” where the presence of coca is reported. Cauca (southwest) and Nariño (southwest), two regions where there is a strong presence of armed groups, “were the most affected”.

Four regions have coca cultivation areas greater than 30,000 hectares: Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo, and North Santander (north-east, bordering Venezuela). The report focuses in particular on fifteen production enclaves, concentrating 39% of the coca growing area on only 14% of the territory.

He is also alarmed by “expansion zones, zones where coca crops have only been present for three years”, and which are 40% located in the Pacific region, one of the poorest and most isolated from the country.

“Means of commercial exchange”

“It is important to note that in different regions the prices of coca leaf derivatives (coca paste and cocaine base) are reaching historic lows,” while in other regions “there is no market due to the absence of buyers.

“Despite this, the vast majority of coca crops continue to be harvested” and these market restrictions have led to the stockpiling of “cocaine paste and cocaine base”, sometimes used “as a means of commercial exchange in certain regions.

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