Press Release

(Washington, D.C.)—The U.S. Government has completed the 2003 annual estimates of coca cultivation in Colombia. The estimates are produced with survey-sampling techniques and satellite imagery, similar to techniques used to estimate agricultural crops throughout the United States.

Survey figures show a dramatic drop of 21 percent in coca cultivation in Colombia for 2003. Net coca cultivation dropped from 144,450 hectares in 2002 to 113,850 hectares in 2003. This compares to 169,800 hectares cultivated during the peak growing year of 2001. Taken together with previously released estimates for Peru and Bolivia, this represents a total production for the region of 655 metric tons—the lowest level since estimates began in 1986.

This accelerating trend of declining coca cultivation demonstrates once again the effectiveness of the State Department-supported Colombian National Police aerial eradication program. Importantly, this marked decline in Colombian coca has not been offset by increasing production elsewhere: Andean regional coca production declined by 18 percent overall in 2003. The level of coca cultivation announced today could produce an estimated 460 metric tons of pure cocaine, down from last year's level of 585 metric tons—240 metric tons less than the level in 2001.

The unwavering support of President Uribe for an aggressive aerial spray program has been critical to the success of the program. The Colombian National Police, with the support of the Department of State's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, conducts this aerial eradication effort, which sprayed more than 127,000 hectares of coca last year.

John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy said, "We are pleased by President Uribe's continuing success in reducing the amount of coca being grown in Colombia. President Uribe's steadfast efforts against the drug trade are chipping away at the largest single funding source for regional narco-terrorists and disrupting the international market for cocaine. This is good news for both the citizens of Colombia and the United States. We look forward to continuing to work with the government of Colombia in a common effort aimed at disrupting the drug market and eliminating the threat of narco-terrorists."

The eradication of coca plants, combined with interdiction of processing laboratories and finished product, reduces the profitability and economic incentives of coca production. In Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, law enforcement deterrents are complemented by USAID-supported alternative development programs that generate legal employment to reduce the attractiveness of illegal drug production. As eradiation continues and farmers abandon coca cultivation because profits from it are too uncertain, we will continue to see the cultivation of coca drop, leading to a reduction in the amount of cocaine for sale in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and law Enforcement Robert Charles said, "Thanks to President Uribe's superb leadership, substantially less coca is being grown in Colombia and real progress is being made against the scourge of cocaine. These numbers show the American taxpayers' investment is paying off."