We have reviewed the 1999 Peru coca cultivation survey, and the results of Peru's coca reduction
efforts are excellent. Peru achieved a net reduction of 24 percent in total coca cultivation compared
to 1998, from 51,000 hectares down to 38,700 hectares. This lowers the total amount of potential
cocaine production to 175 metric tons - a 27 percent decrease from a potential yield of 240 metric
The Department of State appreciates the efforts of the Government of Peru to sustain an aggressive
coca reduction program, which has resulted in a 66 percent reduction in the total amount of coca
cultivation in Peru since 1995. The dramatic reduction in the amount of coca cultivated in Peru
diminishes the supply of raw material for drug trafficking organizations, makes them vulnerable to
law enforcement action, and denies them the funds to corrupt and undermine democratic
governments in the region. Moreover, the reduction provides an opportunity for U.S. International
Narcotics Control-funded alternative development programs in Peru to permanently shift
coca-growing communities back into legitimate economic activities.
We have received the preliminary results of the 1999 Bolivia coca cultivation survey and the results
are impressive. As of October 1, Bolivia achieved a net coca reduction of 35% overall, with 55%
of eradication carried out in the Chapare, Bolivia's principal coca-growing region. This reduces the
amount of potential cocaine production to 90 metric tons -- down from a potential of 150 metric
tons in 1998. With results from October, November and December still to come, the final statistics
for 1999 will be even more promising.
The Department of State congratulates the Bolivian Government for its efforts on the drug front. The
Banzer Administration took ownership of the drug production problem in Bolivia in 1997 and
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