Illegal drug trade in Colombia

Stacks of cocaine seized by the Colombian police.

The illegal drug trade in Colombia has, since the 1970s, centered successively on four major drug trafficking cartels: Medellín, Cali, Norte del Valle, and North Coast, as well as several bandas criminales, or BACRIMs.[1] The trade eventually created a new social class and influenced several aspects of Colombian culture, economics, and politics.

The Colombian government efforts to reduce the influence of drug-related criminal organizations is one of the origins of the Colombian conflict, an ongoing low-intensity war among rival narcoparamilitary groups, guerrillas and drug cartels fighting each other to increase their influence and against the Colombian government that struggles to stop them.

  1. ^ International Crisis Group. "Dismantling Colombia's New Illegal Armed Groups: Lessons from a Surrender Archived 2016-07-06 at the Wayback Machine", CrisisGroup.org. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2014.