The Billion-Dollar Cocaine Trade Fueling Colombia's Deadly War | WSJ

TL;DR

Colombia's Catatumbo region generates nearly $8 billion in cocaine, driving a deadly turf war between FARC offshoots, ELN rebels, and the military.

Key Points

• 1.Catatumbo is a cocaine production epicenter worth nearly $8 billion. The region holds over 150 square miles of coca crops; a kilo worth $1,500 locally sells for $25,000 in US and European markets, creating enormous financial incentives for armed groups.
• 2.The 2016 FARC peace deal created a dangerous power vacuum. After FARC disarmed, rival groups including the ELN and FARC offshoot EMBF rushed to fill the void, sparking violent turf wars over lucrative drug trafficking corridors into Venezuela.
• 3.ELN attacks in January 2025 triggered Colombia's worst violence in decades. Coordinated strikes set off waves of killings and kidnappings, displacing hundreds of thousands, leaving towns nearly empty with residents hanging white flags for protection.
• 4.Young people are being recruited into armed groups at alarming rates. Armed groups have doubled in size under President Petro's failed peace plan, with children as young as 12 working coca fields and teens lured by money and social-media glorification of the guerrilla lifestyle.
• 5.Government eradication and alternative-crop programs have largely failed. Coca farmers say successive governments underfunded post-2016 transition programs; a new $1 billion infrastructure pledge accompanies farm burnings, but experts say new farms simply replace destroyed ones.
• 6.Colombia is shifting to militarization amid pressure from President Trump. Peace talks have broken down, and Trump has threatened tariffs and military intervention if Colombia doesn't curb trafficking; locals fear increased militarization will deepen, not resolve, the crisis.