According to the US assessment in June 2018, coca cultivation increased in Colombia the past year. In 2017, Coca cultivation expanded for a fourth consecutive year in Colombia, this time by 11 percent. This expansion has outpaced the plans of the outgoing administration to eliminate over 100,000 hectares of coca plants. Half by forced eradication, and the other half by crop substitution programs as per the 2016 peace accords between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

This expansion has consequently renewed pressure on Bogota from Washington to intensify efforts to eradicate the coca crop. As a result, the president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, backed a plan to use drones to do the job. Over the past 3 years, forced eradication of coca in Colombia has mainly been carried out manually. However, due to fears of extensive protests by the cartels and the growing concerns that peace negotiations with the FARC would crumble, the US government started reducing aerial sprays in 2013. In 2015, the Colombian government suspended aerial spraying fully, citing concerns that herbicides caused health problems. This is viewed by many, particularly on the US side, as the root cause of the expansion.

The US government is now insisting on a far more aggressive way to eradicate Colombia’s coca plants. As the drug warriors in Colombia struggle to come to terms with the forced eradication, president Trump has found an eager eradication proponent in the newly elected Ivan Duque. Duque has openly criticized many of the counter narcotics sections in the FARC peace accord, arguing against making deals with coca farmers.

The Duque administration is set to deploy drones to undertake aerial spraying. This idea is not new, the outgoing president approved aerial spraying by low flying drones during his last days as president. By flying low and closer to the coca plants, the drones are less likely to cause health problems or destroy legal plants by accident. Drones can be deployed to pinpoint where the illegal plants are grown. Small drones are particularly preferred since they can fly really low to identify coca plants that are grown under the cover of tall trees.

Another advantage of using drones instead of piloted airplanes for eradication is that there is no danger whatsoever to the operating crew. Small drones also promise precision and minimization of collateral damage. While the drones are a promising prospect in the fight against illegal crops in Colombia, the government will have to come up with a strategy to provide alternative livelihoods to the farmers.