As of July 22, the Military Forces have eradicated 38,000 hectares of illicit plantations.
More than 3,683 infrastructures for the production of illicit drugs has been destroyed, 14 per cent more than last year.
The Minister of Defense, Diego Molano Aponte, highlighted that, throughout this year, 2021, the Military Forces are conducting a tireless operation to reach the goal of 130 thousand hectares of illicit plantations eradicated, ensuring that the main concern is not the eradication, but the productivity of coca.
“As of July 22, the Military Forces have eradicated 38,000 hectares of illicit plantations and more than 346 tons of cocaine have been found, 30 percent more than last year. In the same way, 62 percent more tons of coca leaf have been found, 541 tons more if compared to last year,” the Minister said.
During this first half of the year, more than 3,683 infrastructures for the production of illicit drugs have been destroyed; it is an increase that represents almost 14 percent more than the last year.
“As part of the strengthening of this operation, we reached a capacity of 106 mobile eradication groups, 151 platoons and more than 14 PECATS, who with their efforts are the architects of the achievements in eradication, " explained Minister Molano.
The head of the Ministry of Defense said that, during the government of President Duque, “we have been showing continuous reductions for two years; last year accumulated almost 7 percent reduction in the total of hectares, reaching 143 thousand hectares of coca, a triumph of the Anti-Drug Policy and the Fight against Illicit Plantations of this government. Our direct operation against coca is to attack laboratories, continue to eradicate and hit productivity hard,” Molano said.
Finally, the Minister said that the goal is not only to eradicate, but to achieve the reduction of area, “not just to provide support for the finding but decrease the productivity of the coca, that is the great objective to decrease the fundamental source that generates violence, which is the drug that generates the violence in Colombia”, emphasized the Minister of Defence during the Annual Report on Colombia: Monitoring of Territory affected by Illicit Plantations by 2020.
Source: Defence Sector Communications Office – Ministry of National Defence
