About 100 metric tons of cocaine cross Ecuador each year, he said. Venezuela and Curacao also serve the cartels as transit countries, he added. McCaffrey said that in all the countries he will visit, domestic demand for illicit drugs has risen and trafficking has expanded. Over the last three years drug control programs in the Andean region have cut cocaine production by nearly 30 percent. But despite vigorous law enforcement efforts, cultivation and production are again increasing.
Supply reduction is an essential component of a well-balanced strategic approach to drug control.
We recognize that the lines demarcating source, transit, and consuming nations have become blurred as drug abuse and drug-related social damage become a shared problem. During his trip, McCaffrey will assess whether FOLSs can be set up in Manta, Ecuador, and the island of Curacao.