Unlocking Insights: How Legalizing Cocaine Could Transform Our Climate | Atmos

According to a recent investigation by Mongabay, there are at least 76 illegal airstrips in the Peruvian Amazon, mainly in Ucayali. These airstrips are often found within forest concessions meant to promote sustainable use. However, many of these areas have fallen under the control of drug cartels. In the Brazilian Amazon, there are around 3,000 airstrips, with one-third located in protected or Indigenous lands, as reported by InfoAmazonia.

Recently, reporters discovered plastic drums used for cocaine production abandoned near one of these airstrips. This highlights the ongoing environmental damage caused by illegal cocaine labs across the Amazon, which create toxic pollution.

Over the past five years, reports indicate that as many as 15 Indigenous leaders have been murdered near these airstrips in Peru. This violence often stems from illegal coca farming and drug trafficking. One Indigenous leader shared, “We don’t really know how many die each day. The state has forgotten us.” This reflects a troubling sense of neglect and danger in these communities.

Airstrips allow traffickers to bypass law enforcement. Ricardo Soberón, former president of Peru’s drug control commission, noted that traffickers could carry about 800 kilos of pure cocaine per flight. The presence of multiple airstrips offers traffickers flexibility in their operations, making it harder for authorities to intervene.

While the 76 airstrips identified in the Mongabay report are not the primary cause of deforestation in Peru, the real number is likely much higher, according to Soberón. Coca production has surged, with over half of the new coca crops in Ucayali from 2003 to 2022 being cultivated on deforested land, as found in a 2024 UNODC report.

“Criminal law has failed to control cocaine production,” Soberón stated. “We see an alarming increase in the number of airstrips and labs in the jungle.” Additionally, illegal logging is on the rise, corroborating the UNODC findings that connect cocaine trafficking to significant environmental destruction. A 2017 study suggested that cocaine trafficking might contribute to up to 30% of deforestation in Central America.

This underscores the severe and lasting impacts cocaine production can have on tropical forests, highlighting the need for urgent action to address both environmental and social issues in the region.



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Anthropocene,Science & Nature