Head of Peru’s Anti-Drug Agency Comes Under Fire Following Leaked Emails

The head of Peru’s anti-drugs agency Devida, Ricardo Soberon, has come under fire following the publication by daily El Comercio  of excerpts of some of his e-mails to coca growing members of the National Confederation of Farmers in the coca-growing basins (Conpaccp). The criticism heightened as Soberon scheduled to visit coca growers in several areas of the central [...]

Devida’s 2012 budget to be $44 million

The president of Peru’s anti-drug agency, known as Devida, said Monday that the agency will have a budget of 120 million soles (approximately $44 million) in 2012, aimed to fulfill the government’s pledge to reduce coca cultivation. Ricardo Soberon, to critics a controversial appointment to lead Devida by President Ollanta Humala, said that 70 million [...]

Peru to resume coca eradication today

Peru’s government will resume coca eradication work on Tuesday in the country’s Upper Huallaga Valley, daily La Republica reported, citing President Ollanta Humala. Humala’s government suspended eradication last week to re-evaluate the country’s current counter-narcotics plan. The Upper Huallaga Valley is Peru’s top coca growing region. The government came under harsh criticism for the suspension, [...]

Peru Gov’t criticized for temporary suspension of coca eradication

Peru’s government has ordered the suspension of eradication efforts of coca crops in the country’s Upper Huallaga Valley, located in Huanuco region, local media reported. The Upper Huallaga Valley is one of Peru’s top coca growing regions, in addition to the Apurimac and Ene river valleys, or VRAE. Peru has seen a steady increase in recent [...]

Defense minister says alternative crop promotion better than eradication to deter coca

Peruvian Defense Minister Jaime Thorne said Friday the promotion of alternative crops to coca, the raw material used to make cocaine, is more important to combating the country’s growing drug trade than eradication efforts. “I believe an aspect in the fight against drug trafficking that is much more important than eradication is to provide the opportunity to those that [...]

Coca cultivation increases in Peru for fifth-consecutive year

Peruvian land used to cultivate coca, the raw material required to process cocaine, has increased this year, while global coca cultivation has seen a reduction, according to the UN’s World Drug Report 2011. Peru saw a 2% increase in the area under coca cultivation last year to 61,200 hectares from 59,900ha in 2009, the report [...]

Anti-drug agency to set up checkpoints to intercept drug processing chemicals

Peru’s anti-drug agency, Devida, said Thursday it will establish checkpoints by July to intercept and limit the flow of cocaine processing chemicals into the country’s main drug producing regions. The president of Devida, Rómulo Pizarro, said 25 tons of toxic chemicals used to manufacture cocaine from coca plants enter Peru’s Upper Huallaga region and the [...]