📥 Cocaine: Past, Present and Future of the "White Gold"
Hello!
It is an anaesthetic and appetite suppressant, capable of providing bursts of energy. It is also dangerously addictive, with potentially deadly side effects. Governments have been trying to curb its use for decades, but its production and use continues to grow. Few substances have such a long and fascinating history as cocaine – as well as such an impact on the world.
In fact, as you read this newsletter, in Cali, Colombia, a group of experts and government representatives from 15 Latin American countries are debating cocaine at the Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Drugs. They are discussing the development of new policies that do not criminalise coca growers and other marginalized and vulnerable groups who have been particularly affected by historic punitive approaches.
The dynamics of cocaine are changing, with new production zones, commercial opportunities and criminal dynamics redrawing the global map.
This week, we explore the past, present and future of the "white gold".
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Thank you very much and see you in two weeks!
Josefina Salomon, Ronna Rísquez and Sergio Ortiz
Co-founders, In.Visibles
In.Visibles Stories
COCAINE: THE "WHITE GOLD", EXPLAINED
Did you know that the cultivation of coca, the main ingredient of cocaine, and the production of the drug, is expanding around the world? Do you have any idea where the main markets are and what techniques criminal organizations use to transport their product? Read the story here to find some of the answers.
COCAINE: A FASCINATING, AND COMPLEX, HISTORY
It has been adored, reviled, analyzed ad infinitum and the focus of endless international debate. Few substances have such a long and fascinating history as cocaine, and such an impact on the world. Here are the key events that have brought it to the present day.
THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS FAILED - NOW WHAT?
Since most of the world's governments, led by the United States, waged war on the infamous white powder in the 1970s, millions of dollars have been invested in programmes to combat cocaine production and consumption. Fifty years later, the increasing availability and use of drugs casts doubt on the effectiveness of the strategy. Read more here.
What we liked...
💡This analysis by Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) reflects on the possible causes of the drop in price of coca leaves.
🌱An article by Daniela Jaimes Rico for Talking Drugs on the Futuro Coca Festival, which brings together experts from around the world to discuss the potential uses of the plant.