At a meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque, the United States secretary of state Mike Pompeo said both the US and Colombia would try to reduce the production of coca by 50 percent by 2023.
According to news reports, the US secretary of state said he is “deeply concerned” over the increased coca leaf production, the raw material which is used for baking cocaine in Colombia. Colombia has already vowed to step up its coca elimination programme.
According to a recent United Nations (UN) report, the huge agricultural land which has been in use for coca crops in the country had hit its record levels. Columbia has battled for several years to handle the production of cocaine, with the US assistance of about $400 (£318m) annually in order to help combat the producers and traffickers.
While the Columbia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine drug, the US stands at the world’s largest consumer.
Pompeo said: “The United States remains deeply concerned about the surge in coca cultivation and cocaine production in Colombia since 2013, and its impact on each of our two countries.”
Pompeo further said: “We know we must do our part to reduce demand in our country and we’ll work alongside you here as well.”
Colombian Duque thanked the US for its support in the drugs war.
In last month, Duque had said that above 80,000 hectares of coca crops had been removed in 2018. The Colombian government said it aimed to eradicate another 10,000 hectares in 2019. But it said it need more money to persuade farmer to switch their cultivation to legal crops, less lucrative.
According to UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crimes) statistics issues in September, stated that coca production in Columbia has reached his highest-ever record in 2017.
In august, newly elected Columbian president Duque has said the government would be creating a new drug-fighting policy, aim to have “concrete results” in next four years.