Colombia’s Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia has requested the UN remove coca from its list of harmful substances. She argues that scientific research will illustrate the coca leaf’s health benefits and that current strategies against cocaine production have failed. By legalizing coca, Colombia aims to find industrial uses and battle cocaine trafficking while also addressing social and environmental issues associated with drug trade.
Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Laura Sarabia, has formally requested that the United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs remove coca, the principal ingredient in cocaine, from its harmful substances list. During a commission meeting, she asserted that scientific evidence will demonstrate that the coca leaf is not harmful to health. Sarabia emphasized that the global strategy aimed at curbing cocaine production by labeling coca as harmful has proven ineffective, as drug trafficking has hindered Colombia’s development, victimized numerous farmers, funded terrorist organizations, and devastated vital ecosystems including the Amazon.
Minister Sarabia argued that legalizing coca would empower Colombian authorities to combat cocaine production more effectively by utilizing the coca leaf for industrial purposes, such as creating fertilizers and beverages. She stated that such reforms would provide tools to replace coca crops with more benign alternatives like cacao or to promote harmless coca products. She reiterated that reforming the global drug policy does not equate to endorsing drug trafficking but rather equips Colombia to better address it: “We cannot continue repeating the mistakes of the past. For Colombia, refocusing this policy is a matter of life and peace.”
The Minister maintained that removing the harmful classification of coca would allow law enforcement to concentrate on tackling the illegal production of cocaine and its exportation to global markets. Under the administration of President Gustavo Petro, Colombian authorities have confiscated 1.9 million kilograms of cocaine and dismantled over 450 clandestine cocaine laboratories since August 2022. However, the government continues to struggle with effectively reducing coca cultivation for cocaine production, as noted by the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime, which cites Colombia as the world’s leading cocaine producer.
Colombia’s plea to the United Nations to reclassify coca underscores the nation’s commitment to reforming its drug policies in order to combat the illicit cocaine trade more effectively. By advocating for the potential industrial uses of coca, Colombia seeks to transform the narrative surrounding coca cultivation and alleviate the negative impacts of drug trafficking on its society and environment. The government’s actions reflect an ongoing struggle to balance the complex issues of drug production and national development.
Original Source: colombiareports.com
