Colombia's president announces reduction in coca plantations

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Thursday the coca leaf plantations in the country have been reduced to less than 60,000 hectares, the lowest in 15 years. Santos made the declaration during the 120th anniversary of the National Police, but he didn't specify the number of hectares of coca crops in Colombia, which is considered the world's main cocaine producer. He said the reduction was due to police operations launched in 2011, which confiscated 63 tons of cocaine and arrested 1,247 people. Authorities said the illegal substance was seized partly from the rebel groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN). In 2008, international organizations designated Colombia as the number one country in the world regarding the production of coca, the main ingredient for producing cocaine, with about 80,000 hectares and a cocaine production potential of 430 metric tons. Since then, Colombia has made great efforts to curb coca plantations, including the manual eradication of coca plants in distant regions of the country.