Colombia’s Release of Draft Decree on Aerial Coca Eradication

Office of the Spokesperson

The United States welcomes the Duque administration’s release of its draft decree on the resumption of aerial coca eradication, which details how it would meet strict health and environmental conditions set by Colombia’s Constitutional Court. The decision to employ aerial spraying is a sovereign decision for the Colombian government. The release of this draft decree is a critical step toward integrating aerial coca eradication into Colombia’s comprehensive counternarcotics strategy. Like the United States, Colombia recognizes that a successful counternarcotics approach must address both supply and demand reduction. Cocaine production drives deforestation, dumping of toxic chemicals, a proliferation of violent drug trafficking groups, and a growing trend of cocaine consumption, wreaking havoc every day on the lives of Colombians. The United States supports the efforts of the Colombian government to achieve our joint goal of halving coca cultivation and cocaine production by the end of 2023.