By uprooting the population, the people are forced to flee and settle in other areas or countries, disrupting the new environment and acting as a potentially destabilizing variable, especially in the poorer countries without the resources to assimilate a large population. The consequences of the proliferation of light weapons and their effect on international security have been ignored. The drug production and trafficking in Colombia is a source of concern for the entire international community. Colombia is the world s number one source of cocaine. In recent years they also became the growing supplier of heroin.
Illegal drugs are the country s third largest export.
Coca is the crop of choice for farmers because is earns them the most money. In a country burdened by poverty, it is difficult to persuade Colombian coca growers to grow alternative crops. Colombia s narco-trafficking is also a major problem because it is fueling the civil war by funding both sides of the conflict. The guerillas, the right wing paramilitaries and the government all benefit from a system of corruption, bribery and extortion. At the same time, the country s deadly chaos provides excellent cover for drug trafficking.