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It was preserved as a record on October 26; the timeline below shows how it unfolded, with sources. Get the briefing to follow the top situations still developing: three emails a week, sourced and in order.

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3 clusters · 15 sources · 19 days · First seen · Last updated

Transnational crime and record coca cultivation in Bolivia

Overview

Bolivia is experiencing an escalation in transnational organized crime and illegal coca cultivation. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned that criminal mafias are utilizing the country as a transit corridor for cocaine while engaging in human trafficking, money laundering, and illegal gold mining. These organizations are reportedly attempting to penetrate state institutions through corruption.

Following a 7% increase in 2025, coca cultivation has reached record levels for the third consecutive year. Production significantly exceeds the legal limits established by the 2017 General Coca Law; approximately 36,400 hectares have been planted, which is 65.5% more than the 22,000 hectares permitted. The expansion is heavily concentrated in the Chapare region of Cochabamba, where 17,470 hectares have been planted despite a legal limit of 7,700. This surplus is being diverted from traditional markets to illegal cocaine production to meet global demand. Authorities have identified over 3,000 sites for coca paste production and hundreds of laboratories, with potential cocaine production reaching 275 metric tons.

The surge in production is linked to increased violence, including at least 16 drug-related murders recorded between August and mid-September 2026 in Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Beni. Furthermore, the United States has designated Bolivia as a country that failed to meet its commitments in the fight against drug trafficking. Challenges to state authority persist in regions serving as strongholds for former President Evo Morales, where indigenous militias continue to restrict police intervention.

Entities

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime · Cochabamba · Bolivia · Noel Kempff Mercado · Bo Mathiasen

Timeline

  1. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Bolivia coca cultivation reaches record levels amid cocaine surge

    Bolivia's coca cultivation has reached record levels, exceeding legal limits by 65.5% and fueling a surge in illegal cocaine production and transnational drug trafficking.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 11 sources
    Bolivia coca cultivation increases 7% in 2025

    Bolivian coca cultivation rose 7% in 2025 to 364,000 hectares, according to the UNODC, driven by a sharp decline in eradication efforts and expansion in the Cochabamba region.

  3. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Bolivia faces rising threats from transnational organized crime

    The UNODC warns that transnational criminal networks are expanding in Bolivia, involving cocaine trafficking, illegal mining, and corruption aimed at destabilizing state institutions.

Sources

aduc.it · ahoradigital.net · athina984.gr · bookclubz.com · businessdaily.gr · diariodelcauca.com.co · diarioextra.com · elmercurio.com.ec · ertnews.gr · es.insightcrime.org · expreso.ec · iefimerida.gr · newsbeast.gr · nuevapresencia.com · thessnews.gr

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history