clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Why Colombia is losing the cocaine war

There’s a reason Colombia can’t beat cocaine.

Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine. The drug comes from the leaf of the coca plant, which is harvested and processed in the country. And despite the Colombian government’s effort to eradicate the plant, coca cultivation is at an all-time high.

Drug use and cartels surround the cocaine trade, but there’s another side of the story: the families in rural Colombia that rely on the coca leaf as their only means of income.

In the final episode of Vox Borders Colombia, Johnny Harris gets to know these families. And he goes deep into the cocaine economy to discover why the issues surrounding the drug are so complex.

In Vox’s Borders series, Johnny travels the globe to listen to the people living on the front lines of international relations.

You can find this video and all of Vox’s videos on YouTube. Subscribe for the latest.