For many years, the small, isolated Colombian village of Caño Cabra has relied on the cocaine industry for its survival. Residents of this community in the central part of the country wake up early each morning to harvest coca leaves, often working until their hands are bloody. These leaves are then processed with chemicals to create coca paste. However, two years ago, the buyers who turned the paste into cocaine stopped coming, leaving the villagers without income. Food became scarce, leading many to leave in search of work elsewhere, causing the population of the town to dwindle from 200 to 40.
This decline in the cocaine industry is a result of various domestic and global factors that are reshaping the drug trade in Colombia. The end of a conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which funded its operations through cocaine production, paved the way for smaller criminal groups to take over. These groups now focus on buying coca from fewer farmers in border regions, causing communities like Caño Cabra to suffer as their primary source of income disappears.
Despite efforts to transition coca farmers to legal crops, the surge in cocaine production continues, driven by government policies and technological advancements. As a result, many regions that relied on the cocaine industry are experiencing economic hardship and a rise in other illicit activities. This has forced residents to consider alternative sources of income, such as cattle farming or joining armed groups out of desperation.
The situation highlights the complex challenges faced by rural communities in Colombia, where the cocaine industry has long been the main source of livelihood. As the industry undergoes significant changes, residents are grappling with the uncertainty of their future and the difficult choices they must make to survive.