By Vanessa Cort
THERE have been several news reports recently of Venezuelan boats being blown up mid-ocean by US planes. According to the American President, Donald Trump, these vessels were trafficking cocaine.
In addition, the US administration accused Venezuelan President, Nicholas Maduro of narco-trafficking and in a surprise military manoeuvre, US forces invaded Venezuela, capturing Maduro in January of this year.
However, a backlash came from political commentators who said the Americans had no way of knowing what the boats contained and argued that Venezuela is not a ‘major player’ in narco-trafficking.
They point to neighbouring Colombia, which has long been considered a hub for both the cultivation and exportation of cocaine. The growth of drug cartels during the 1960s and 70s have confirmed this and Pablo Escobar, former head of the Medellin cartel, monopolised the cocaine trade into the US in the following decade.
Escobar surrendered to authorities in 1991, escaped one year later and was killed in a shootout with police in 1993 at the age of 44. Yet Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, is responsible for over 70% of global supply and most of the cocaine sold in the United States.
An AI Overview states that “…contemporary Colombian drug production dwarfs the era of historical cartels like Pablo Escobar’s”. It also says the country is experiencing a historic cocaine boom despite “…decades of heavily funded counter-narcotics efforts.”
Production areas have expanded, processing techniques have improved and the cartels of the 1980s have been replaced by “…fragmented, highly sophisticated criminal networks.” A lack of formal economic alternatives has also meant that hundreds of thousands of Colombian farmers depend on cocaine cultivation for their livelihood.
When the world observes International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Friday, this is the huge and complex problem it will face.
It is a ‘tall order’ indeed, as recognised by the 2026 theme, “World drug problem: persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses”.
The UN acknowledges that global drug use and the number of drugs have been increasing in the past decades. Further, the low cost of manufacture and reduced risk of detection of synthetic drugs have contributed to their increase in the illicit drug market.
And as the illicit drug trade grows and expands, so too does the number of users. There are now more young people using drugs than in previous decades, as supplies become more widespread, reaching into schools and institutions of learning.
A comprehensive report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides a wealth of statistics and information on drug use.
This includes a section, ‘Contemporary issues on drugs’, which addresses “the complex and layered impacts of drug use”, such as the effect on individual health, family and community well-being. It also emphasises, “the importance of social and health-oriented interventions that can prevent, interrupt or mitigate pathways of harm.”
Another chapter on ‘The nexus between drugs and organised crime’, explores the strengths and weaknesses in organised crime groups and calls for an end to “… indiscriminate law enforcement operations and for investment in more effective law enforcement responses.”
These areas are particularly pertinent to the fight against illicit drugs in today’s world and the UN says that this year’s campaign “will showcase how the international community, local and national governments, civil society and the public are working together on innovative responses to reduce demand for and supply of illicit drugs and thus mitigate threats.”
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
