Record cocaine production and the relentless surge in demand for this drug have fueled criminal violence across Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023, as traffickers established new routes to evade government anti-drug measures. Colombia and Bolivia, two of the three main cocaine producers globally, saw unprecedented seizures of the drug during the year. While Peru reported slightly fewer cocaine seizures compared to 2022, authorities confiscated 53% more coca paste throughout the year.
Meanwhile, small-scale coca cultivation has continued to gain ground in Venezuela, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Mexico has yet to deliver its full report, leaving a gap in the overall picture of the region’s drug situation.
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