By Natalia Rueda 
Amidst reports that cocaine use is decreasing in the United States while fentanyl consumption continues to rise, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia is cautioning the nation to prepare for the dangers of this powerful and deadly drug. President Petro underscored the deadly effects of fentanyl, noting that it is the cause of more than 100,000 deaths in the US annually.
The president also pointed to the decline of the coca leaf price as a result of decreased US demand. Petro’s message stated that routes of cocaine used to go through Central America, the Caribbean Islands and Mexico, to the U.S. However, these routes have been progressively changing. Now, they move away from the coasts, and cross the other side of the Andes mountain range towards the Amazon jungle. From this area far from the sea, new routes are traced along the rivers and going south to Brazil, Africa and Europe, as well as Ecuador and Peru to East Asia, Japan and Australia.
Following this, Petro urged the nation to take action and strongly prioritize the protection of youth. He added his call for the installation of free detection posts in nightlife areas to monitor for drug use, as well as the promotion of education on the effects of the drug.
To this end, General William Salamanca from Colombia’s National Police confirmed they are already taking the necessary precautions and gathering information to assess the country’s fentanyl situation. However, he noted that there is still no data on its production or commercialization within the nation’s borders.
President Petro’s call for the nation to face up to the challenges of fentanyl comes in the midst of an international call for governments to do more to control and reduce its production and use. Although Colombia is a major source country for cocaine, its current challenges around the arrival of fentanyl doses a crucial test for the nation’s drug policy and political leadership. It thus remains to be seen whether Colombia will be able to confront the looming fentanyl crisis