On the heels of a record-breaking drug bust in Colombia and a major policy shift in Bolivia, South America’s war on cocaine is entering a new, turbulent phase—one marked by shifting alliances, renewed international cooperation, and stubborn challenges that refuse to budge. The past week has seen both dramatic enforcement actions and diplomatic overtures, underscoring how the global fight against narcotics is as much about politics as it is about police work.
Colombia, long considered the epicenter of the world’s cocaine trade, made headlines on November 22, 2025, with the seizure of a staggering 14 tonnes of cocaine. According to France 24, this operation marks one of the largest single hauls in the nation’s history, a testament to the scale and persistence of the drug trade despite decades of international intervention and local enforcement efforts. The bust, which authorities say disrupted a major trafficking network, was immediately hailed as a significant victory by Colombian officials. Still, it also reignited debate over the effectiveness and direction of Colombia’s anti-drug strategy.
The day after the seizure, Colombian President Gustavo Petro addressed growing criticism from the United States about Bogotá’s approach to combating narcotics. According to France 24, Petro categorically rejected U.S. complaints, defending his government’s policies and pushing back against what he described as external meddling. The president’s remarks reflect a broader tension that has simmered for years: while the U.S. has poured billions into anti-drug efforts across the region, local leaders often bristle at perceived infringements on their sovereignty or disagreements over tactics.
Meanwhile, a seismic shift is underway in Bolivia, the world’s third-largest producer of coca and cocaine after Colombia and Peru. On November 21, 2025, Ernesto Justiniano Urenda, Bolivia’s newly appointed Vice Minister of Civil Defense and Anti-Drug Czar, announced in an interview with AFP that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would be returning to Bolivia after a 17-year absence. The DEA’s expulsion in 2008 by then-President Evo Morales, who accused the agency of interference, had been a defining moment in Bolivia’s leftward turn and its increasingly fraught relationship with Washington.
The return of the DEA is no small matter. As Justiniano told AFP, “there is a political commitment” for renewed U.S. cooperation, a move he described as essential for tackling what he called spiraling cocaine production. “International cooperation is fundamental,” he emphasized, adding, “We will no longer be an isolated country, a country that is self-absorbed and acts solely out of political necessity.”
This dramatic policy reversal comes just weeks after the inauguration of President Rodrigo Paz, a pro-business conservative who took office on November 8, 2025. Paz has made no secret of his desire to break with two decades of leftist governance, promising a sharp shift in political, economic, social, and diplomatic affairs. His administration, according to AFP, is determined to eradicate illicit coca crops and dismantle the drug cartels that have flourished in Bolivia’s rugged highlands and remote jungles.
The scale of the challenge is daunting. United Nations data cited by AFP show that Bolivia has 31,000 hectares (76,602 acres) of coca under cultivation. While about 22,000 hectares (54,363 acres) are legally grown for traditional uses—such as chewing, brewing into tea, or religious rituals—the remainder fuels a thriving illicit trade. Justiniano painted a sobering picture of the problem, estimating Bolivia’s annual cocaine output at around 300 tons. Even more troubling, he explained, is that modern processing techniques have slashed the amount of coca leaf required to produce a kilogram of cocaine by half compared to twenty years ago. “With one hectare of illegal coca, I can produce more than double the cocaine than twenty years ago,” Justiniano said.
Despite the urgency, Bolivia’s anti-drug operations face severe constraints. As Justiniano candidly admitted, the country’s helicopters and planes are grounded due to a lack of funds for insurance and spare parts, forcing all incursions against traffickers to be conducted by land. “And once on site, they must travel on foot, even lacking fuel for vehicles,” he noted. It’s a stark illustration of how resource limitations can hobble even the best-intentioned enforcement efforts.
Bolivia’s return to partnership with the U.S. is a sharp departure from the policies of former President Morales, who ruled from 2006 to 2019. Morales’s government not only expelled the DEA and the U.S. ambassador in 2008, accusing them of meddling, but also kicked out USAID officials in 2013. Washington responded in kind, and the diplomatic freeze lasted for over a decade. During this period, Bolivia deepened alliances with China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, and other left-leaning governments, while nationalizing key industries and championing indigenous rights.
President Paz’s administration, however, is charting a different course. The day after his election victory, Paz vowed to renew ties with Washington, signaling a pragmatic approach to international relations and a willingness to accept outside help in tackling the drug problem. For many in Bolivia, especially those in law enforcement and the business community, the hope is that U.S. support will bring much-needed resources and expertise to a fight that has long seemed unwinnable.
Yet, not everyone is convinced that more U.S. involvement is the answer. Critics point to the mixed record of previous anti-drug campaigns, which have often resulted in violence, displacement, and environmental damage without significantly reducing the flow of cocaine to global markets. Some also worry that a renewed U.S. presence could reignite old tensions or undermine Bolivia’s hard-won sense of national autonomy. Still, faced with an ever-evolving and increasingly sophisticated drug trade, even skeptics acknowledge that international cooperation is likely unavoidable.
Back in Colombia, President Petro’s defense of his government’s anti-drug strategy highlights the delicate balancing act facing South American leaders. On one hand, they must demonstrate results to both domestic and international audiences; on the other, they must navigate a web of competing pressures, from Washington’s demands for tougher enforcement to local calls for alternative development and respect for traditional uses of coca.
The events of this past week underscore how the cocaine trade continues to shape the politics, economies, and societies of South America. Whether the renewed U.S. presence in Bolivia and the massive Colombian drug bust will mark a turning point remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: the region’s battle against cocaine is far from over, and the next chapter promises to be as complex and contentious as ever.
As governments recalibrate their strategies and alliances, the stakes—for local communities, national leaders, and the broader international community—couldn’t be higher.