Peru’s war on drugs is an abject failure – here’s what it can learn from Bolivia
Coca production has not shrunk overall, merely shifting its location, often through extensive replanting, which aggravates deforestation
The Conversation (UK)
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
When Peruvian government forces began eradicating coca leaf, the raw material for cocaine, without warning in a remote corner of Peru’s principal coca growing region last November, they were met by growers armed with sticks and rocks. The security forces backing the eradication brigades responded by firing bullets and tear gas, seriously wounding five farmers. For 40 years, policies in Peru have prioritised forced eradication of coca leaf under intense pressure from the US government. Weak economies, farmers turned into outlaws, and human rights violations are the result of this militarised crop and drug control strategy.
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