Does the latest UN World Drugs Report show positive or negative results for Colombia?
We could say that results are positive for Colombia. However, we still need to find out if the patterns of pricing and demand are in keeping with UNODC estimates and with ONDCP estimates (the United States’ Office of National Drug Control Policy).To my mind, these results must not be analyzed solely in light of whether there has been a temporary drop in crop size or fall in production. The real question is what it has cost Colombia to make significant advances in the war against cocaine production and trade. Is the current war on drugs policy successful? I would not say so. In fact, I’d say the opposite, investments made by Colombia and the United States, combined, add to approximately 1.2 to 1.4 billion US dollars invested yearly (or approximately 1.5% of the GDP) and the production between 2000 and 2007 or 2008 has stayed more or less stable. That is to say that while resources have been massively invested, very little has come out of it (in terms of reducing cocaine production). One
