American officials have claimed a victory in the fight against drugs in Colombia, reporting a “dramatic” drop in the area dedicated to the cultivation of coca, the prime ingredient in cocaine. The White House’s office of national drug control policy said aerial spraying of drug crops had decreased coca plantations by 21%, from 144,450 hectares (337,000 acres) in 2002 to 113,850 hectares in 2003. Critics questioned the figures, however, saying the supply in the US appeared to have remained stable. “If fumigation were truly reducing the supply of coca, the price would be expected to rise,” Adam Isacson, the director of the Washington-based Centre for International Policy, said. “[Yet] all our efforts have yielded no rise in cocaine prices.” Full Story
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