Colombia's cocaine production has continuously surged since the 1990s, despite the dismantling of major cartels and billions in anti-drug aid, with the country now responsible for over 67% of the global supply. The FARC was the Andean country’s largest and most powerful illegal armed group, with up to an estimated 17,000 combatants, which was involved in the cocaine trade and responsible for thousands of kidnappings, extortion and murder. There are many reasons for this, including the fragmentation of the narcotics trade with the end of the vertically integrated cartels, giving smaller criminal syndicates access to the tremendous profits generated from the cocaine trade.
Author: Matthew Smith
Published at: 2026-01-07 23:00:00
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