The Impact of Drugs in Peru

Drugs History and Issues

Since 2000 years ago there has been a traditional, ritual, and culturally legal use of coca leaf in the Andean region. The Spanish Crown through Viceroy Toledo tried to eradicate the production of coca in Peru, reaching significant results in the territory that presently is Ecuador. Nevertheless, even though there were great efforts implemented, this task was less successful in the mining centers of the southern areas of Peru and Bolivia, because coca was used as a payment media for miners and farmers, who used coca leaf to resist the bad work conditions they had to endure.

This type of exploitation persisted throughout the Republic and, in some areas, until 40 years ago. This situation determined a certain ambiguity in the initial and cultural attitude of the Peruvian population regarding drug issues in Peru (extension of coca leaf plantations). The use of cocaine hydrochloride at the beginning of last century, when it was believed that coca leaf had exceptional healing properties, starts creating a distortion on their historical and anthropological foundation, even more so when its trade is illegal and the use of coca paste ("crack", "bazuco") and cocaine hydrochloride started at the benginning of the ´80s.

The influx of peasants after the agrarian reform, the fall of traditional products prices in the international market, the demand of cocaine hydrochloride and drug traffickers, especially Colombians, added to an opportunistic alliance between drug traffickers and Peruvian terrorists until 1993, approximately.

The use of coca leaf to produce illegal substances (specially in the Jungle area) such as cocaine paste has had a negative impact on Peruvian ecology, economy, health and politics, as well as on the country's international relations, being a serious menace to its integrity and stability.

As of the year 2003, it has been estimated that there are approximately 20,700 coca farmers (cocaleros), families having 5 to 6 members on average. It can be stated without doubt that in this period there were approximately 114,000 people living directly from coca leaf production, being the valleys of Alto Huallaga and the Río Apurimac-Ene (VRAE) the areas where the greatest coca activities concentrate. These farmers consider coca as their main income source, while other group has started planting traditional crops or has incorporated alternative crops, while keeping a percentage of their land with coca, as a means to protect themselves against the adversity of low prices from domestic and international agricultural markets.

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