State/INL Peru Program

State/INL Peru Program

Fact Sheet

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

June 11, 2013

Challenges

Peru is the world’s top potential producer of cocaine and the second-largest cultivator of coca, with an estimated 49,500 hectares (ha) of coca under cultivation in 2011. The majority of cocaine produced in Peru is transported to South American countries for domestic consumption, or for onward shipment to Europe, East Asia, Mexico and the Caribbean. Domestic consumption of illicit drugs is growing, and the number of treatment and rehabilitation centers falls short of what is needed. The general Peruvian population is increasingly concerned about the impact of drug trafficking and abuse on citizen security, political stability, and the nation’s youth; the environmental damage of illicit drug production; and the impact of corruption on democratic institutions, including the police and the judiciary.

U.S. Counternarcotics Goals

We seek to partner with the Government of Peru to:

Build Peru’s capacity and develop greater expertise for all aspects of counternarcotics and law enforcement

Reduce the production and trafficking of cocaine and cocaine base from Peru

Support the rule of law by strengthening Peru’s criminal justice system, mitigating the impact of transnational crime, and increasing citizen security

U.S. Programs

The United States and Peru are close partners in combating illicit narcotics and promoting the rule of law. The Government of Peru is implementing a comprehensive five-year counternarcotics strategy that includes the aggressive eradication of illicit coca, the implementation of alternative development programs, the interdiction of illicit narcotics, and the reduction of domestic drug abuse. With U.S. partnership, the strategy has already produced results:

Eradication of illicit coca destined for cocaine production increased 38 percent between 2011 and 2012;

Seizures of cocaine rose 31 percent from 2011 to 2012, and seizures of precursor chemicals increased 83 percent from 2011 to 2012;

The United States and Peru are jointly constructing a fourth police academy in the major coca-growing and drug production areas east of the Andes mountains of Peru, helping the Peruvian National Police increase its presence where it is most needed;

The United States is supporting a Model Police Station Project that will help the Peruvian National Police promote the rule of law and advance citizen security in high-crime, urban areas.

The United States is also supporting Peru’s efforts to improve the investigation and prosecution of money laundering and financial crimes, strengthen the implementation of new asset forfeiture legislation, and bolster drug abuse prevention and treatment services.

Peru is implementing a challenging transition to a new Criminal Procedure Code, and the United States is supporting this effort with robust training programs for Peruvian judges, prosecutors, police, and other judicial operators.

The United States also partners with experts from the Organization of American States Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (OAS/CICAD) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to support efforts to combat money laundering and strengthen asset forfeiture practices.

The United States and Peru have also worked together for more than eight years to develop active drug awareness programs through volunteer-based community anti-drug coalitions. With U.S. funding, local non-governmental organizations have created more than 50 of these coalitions throughout Lima, Callao, and drug producing areas east of the Andes. We are expanding our cooperation to help provide more treatment and recovery programs to Peruvians suffering from substance abuse disorders and to provide more treatment options to drug-addicted women, an underserved population in Peru.

ENDS

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