The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, invited international experts to verify that Venezuela is a territory free of illicit crops, laboratories, and drug trafficking.
He stated that the largest narcotics production concentrates in Colombia, with 500,000 sown hectares of coca. He directly pointed to former Colombian presidents as heirs to the legacy of drug trafficking.
He also confirmed that 87% of Colombian cocaine leaves through the Pacific coast. He accused the banana company owned by the family of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa of transporting 60% of this drug.
The head of state noted that UN reports confirm that only 5% of the drugs attempt to pass through Venezuela. He emphasized that the State’s response is overwhelming: «In here we give them fire.»
He highlighted the effectiveness of the military-police-population alliance, which has managed to seize more than 70% of the drugs attempting to enter the country.
As proof of the anti-narcotics fight, he reported that the Armed Forces have intercepted 402 planes used for drug trafficking.