Colombia's Record-Breaking Coca Cultivation Revealed in UN Report

Colombia has reached a new record in coca cultivation, with 230,000 hectares of land planted with coca last year, according to a United Nations report. This marks a 13% increase from the previous year and the highest numbers since monitoring began in 2001. Potential cocaine output also rose by 24% to approximately 1.73 million kilograms. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for a new approach to combat drug trafficking, proposing the regulation of narcotics, voluntary crop substitution programs, and increased social funding in production areas. The majority of Colombia's coca crops are grown in southern departments bordering Ecuador and in North Santander on the border with Venezuela, with a significant portion found in Indigenous reserves, forest reserves, and natural parks.