The U.S. government is alarmed at the rates of cocaine production in the two countries. While it is working with the Peruvian government to tackle the problem, the issue has only further divided the United States and Bolivia.
The international fight against drug trafficking continues to go poorly in South America’s Andean region, and signs suggest it won’t be improving anytime soon. New figures released this month by the United States show that Peru and Bolivia have stalled, if not taken steps backward, in their attempts to eradicate prolific cocaine production within their borders.
Last year, Peru’s production of pure cocaine reached a 25-year high. Nearly 500 metric tons were produced in the country, a 20-percent increase from 2016, according to a survey published this month by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.