The confiscation of a coca leaf crop in the Sierra de Guerrero, should be a red flag for the federal government, but mainly an alert for the authorities, that the Criminal organizations are experimenting fertilization methods for the drug production on a larger scale, in addition to drug production in Mexico it is increasing.
According to specialists in National security, the sowing of coca leaves outside the Andean countries is very difficult to do. The experts mentioned that the farmers in Guerrero and in any part of the country will never change the production of marijuana Y amapola for corn, beans or social support from the government, since the profits are much lower than the payment offered by the cartels.
Documents of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), consulted by The Broken Chair, indicate that, even before the discovery of coca cultivation in Atoyac de Álvarez, Guerrero, only two more were detected in the state of Chiapas. The first was on December 8, 2014 in the municipality of Tuxtla Chico, where 0.1255 hectares were destroyed. The second was on February 18, 2020, Villa Comaltitlán, where an area of about 10 thousand square meters was located, in which 40 thousand plants were planted.
Atoyac de Álvarez is a municipality historically dedicated to the planting and production of two types of drugs. Between 2006 and 2019, the Army secured 419 plantations of marijuana and eight thousand 693 of amapola.
“Government information is lacking. It must specify the extension of the cultivation. In the background, what we can see is that criminal organizations were experimenting with a new type of fertilizer that can produce more plants per hectare, something that should not be surprising. Marijuana and poppy undergo a whole cultivation process, which includes fertilizers and chemical methods, “explains Gerardo Rodríguez Sánchez Lara, academic coordinator of the Center for Studies on Impunity and Justice of the University of the Americas Puebla (UDLAP).
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“The discovery is not a red light. For many years an attempt has been made to cultivate the coca leaf in Mexico, mainly due to climatic conditions, it has not been achieved. Technologically it can be done, however, no one has tried. President, on the discovery of the crop, has no substance “, indicates Armando Rodriguez Luna, expert in National security and Project Director of the Security and Intelligence Division Strategic Affairs.
“It is very difficult for the coca leaf to grow, due to the climatic conditions in the Andean region, that is why it only occurs in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia, in short it is an endemic plant. The cartels have tried to produce the plant , but it does not occur. This new attempt, the extent of which is unknown, is not significant. What it does tell us are the fertilization methods that uses organized crime, as well as, that the drug market continues to grow. Another point is that the cartels are thinking of another type of drug that is not marijuana, because it almost no longer makes them profit, “he mentions Javier Oliva, academic and specialist in security issues from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
“The discovery of the cultivation of the coca leaf should draw the attention of the federal government. However, the cultivation of that plant has never been successful outside the Andean countries. Mexico does not have the conditions of height, soil and humidity that exist in those regions “, considers Raúl Benítez Manaut, a security specialist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a member of the Collective for the Analysis of Security with Democracy (Casede).
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“The policies to eradicate plantations have not worked. The producers in the Sierra de Guerrero, they will never change the production of amapola The marijuana for other types of products. Furthermore, we must remember that organized crime also forces people to grow drugs. Direct action is required to eradicate plantations, as well as more social programs, but assuming that support for people will lead to a decline is not going to happen, at least in the short term “, Javier Oliva.
“What we have seen, and the authorities are aware of it, is that drug traffickers have recruited experts, agronomists from different universities in the country. Some of them voluntarily and others forcibly. From this, it is most likely that They improved their plant production. It is very difficult for the government to replace this type of plantation because the extraordinary income received by people who make a living from planting is per hectare by growing some other product, or through social programs. Substitution of plantations is a good program, but it is very expensive to maintain it for years, “he said. Gerardo Rodriguez.
“The policies to eradicate plantations have not worked. The producers in the Sierra de Guerrero are never going to change the production of poppies or marijuana for other types of products. Furthermore, we must remember that organized crime also forces people to cultivate drugs. Direct action is required to eradicate plantations, as well as more social programs, but assuming that support for people will lead to a decrease is not going to happen, at least in the short term, “said Javier. Olive.
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“Producers are never going to change the production of marijuana Y amapola by bean, that is a utopia of the President. In addition to the income they obtain from sowing, it is a reality that the people who sow, are part of the lowest structure of the cartels. In addition to the fact that rural communities are subjected to the areas of drug traffickers, “he commented Armando Rodriguez.
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