FAST DOWNLOAD
The increase in coca cultivation in remote areas and the lack of effective control over chemical precursors expose the weaknesses of the Honduran state.
Deep in the mountains of Honduras, in remote areas where the presence of the State is almost non-existent, a dangerous business is cultivated that strengthens criminal networks: coca .
Colón, Yoro, Olancho, El Paraíso and Cortés are now the epicenters of the production of this plant that fuels drug trafficking throughout the region.
But it is not just the cultivation that worries the authorities; it is the weak capacity to control the chemical precursors needed to produce cocaine that keeps the door open to organised crime.
A report by the United States Department of State highlights how, despite efforts, Honduras continues to struggle against the diversion of these precursors.
Seizures, though increasing, pale in comparison to the volume of drugs entering and leaving the country.
Last year, Honduran authorities seized 4.9 metric tons of cocaine , a figure that, while significant, is only a fraction of what actually transits the national territory.
” Thank God , one of the most isolated and forgotten regions of the country, becomes the main entry point for cocaine arriving in Honduras,” the report says.
With almost no state presence and the complicity of some officials, criminal networks find in this region a perfect refuge for their operations.
The clandestine landing strips, destroyed year after year, reappear almost immediately, as if drug trafficking were a shadow impossible to dispel.
The challenge of chemical precursors
But perhaps the biggest problem lies in the control of chemical precursors, essential for the production of cocaine.
Despite U.S. support and technical assistance to strengthen Honduran institutions, coordination between agencies responsible for controlling these products remains insufficient.
Seven government agencies are responsible for monitoring precursor use, but a lack of effective communication between them is keeping the problem alive.
“Honduras has a dynamic commercial sector that is actively involved in the production and marketing of common precursor chemicals,” the State Department report says .
The need for a drug incinerator, a priority in the fight against drug trafficking, remains unfulfilled.
Meanwhile, chemical precursors continue to flow, feeding the rudimentary laboratories that proliferate in the most remote areas of the country.
The shadow of drug trafficking
Corruption, lack of resources and limited maritime and air interdiction capabilities are just some of the obstacles Honduras faces in this battle.
Increasingly sophisticated criminal networks are able to exploit these weaknesses. It is estimated that between 85 and 300 metric tons of cocaine arrive in the country each year by air and sea, and many of them manage to escape the control of the authorities.
Honduras has seized several tons of cocaine in the past two months, suggesting that next year’s report could see a significant increase in seizure figures in the country.
The future of the anti-drug fight in Honduras depends not only on international support, but also on the government’s ability to articulate an effective national strategy .
Only in this way can we stop the flow of drugs and chemical precursors that continue to flow through the country’s veins, fueling the violence and organized crime that destroys so many lives.
