Peru strengthened the illegal coca-crop reduction trend; and its strategy designed to fight against drug-trafficking is on the right track, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) representative Isabel Palacios stressed.
“During this administration” 30% of illegal coca crops have been reduced, which means great advance, she highlighted.
"There has been a significant decrease in these three previous years. [Coca areas declined] from 62,500 to 42,900 hectares. It shows that there is a serious policy [...]," Palacios specified.
The UN officer also highlighted the Congress recently-approved bill and its corresponding promulgation by the Executive Branch. Thus, the Law on Aerial interdiction will enable the Armed Forces to fight the illegal entry of small planes at the service of drug lords.
"It is a firm and decisive step to directly tackle the problem related to clandestine airstrips used by drug traffickers. Thanks to this law, Peru assumed a serious commitment and a shared responsibility on this issue at the global level […],” she said.
Palacios also noted that the Peruvian government undertakes efforts in order to strengthen its presence in coca zones, such as in the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro rivers (Vraem).
Moreover, she emphasized that between 2011 and 2014 the seizure of controlled chemical inputs has quadrupled; climbing from 1,054 tons in 2011 to 4,082 tons (2014).
(END) DOP/MDV/RES/AVV/MVB
Published: 8/31/2015