Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Hopes for Two-Fold Result in New Anti-Drug Plan

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has introduced a new anti-drug plan that entails crop substitution policy.

"With this program we hope to have a twofold result: reducing the illicit cultivation and improving the living conditions of hundreds of thousands of peasants," said Santos in a speech from the country's Casa de Nariño, as quoted by Fox News Latino.

The plan substitutes legal crops in the place of coca plantations, which, according to UN figures, increased 44% in 2014 to cover 69,000 hectares (170,370 acres) of the nation, the news outlet noted. Santos, 64, said that the plan will eliminate coca production in the southern provinces of Putumayo and Nariño, where 26,000 families manufacture the plant used to make cocaine.

In 2014, Colombia's cocaine production went up to 52% to 442 metric tons, smashing the steady trend that had been maintained in 2012-2013. For the crop substitution policy, the country's government aims to "construct roads, schools, health clinics, aqueducts, and service networks" in Putumayo and Nariño, areas which have the most unlawful croplands, Fox News Latino further reported.

Aside from these, "financing (and) technical advice to launch other agricultural projects" will be provided to coca manufacturers, according to Fox News Latino. Cultivating legal crops for five years will grant farmers legal titles to their lands.

Santos added that the government is looking to see eye to eye with the involved communities in removing their coca croplands, but "if an agreement is not reached, forced eradication will be resorted to," the news outlet noted.

A state plan will also be created for the prevention, treatment, and reduction of the dangers and damages of drug use. The government vows to hunt "with all severity" those involved with the drug business, as well as destroying laboratories producing cocaine, arresting drug pushers, and seizure of shipments, Fox News Latino added. Since Nov. 2012, the Colombian government is having peace talks with the guerilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"We've already talked with the FARC about joint plans for the substitution of crops. Imagine what this means. That the FARC, instead of defending illicit crops and the entire drug trafficking chain, will help the state in their eradication. As the slogan says, with peace we will do more," Santos said, as quoted by the news outlet.

Just recently, it was reported that Santos and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro agreed to normalize border relations between their countries, Aljazeera wrote. The four-hour meeting between the two leaders in Ecuador came a month after the border was closed, with trade and movement coming to a halt. Maduro has accused Santos and the U.S. for overthrowing his government.

The agreement between Colombia and Venezuela starts with the urgent reinstatement of ambassadors, Aljazeera noted.