Talking About Colombia

Anti-narcotics police in Colombia have come across a new challenge: synthetic drugs.

Whereas cocaine labs are hidden in the jungle, synthetic drugs are easy to produce in any place. In Colombia, they are produced using pharmaceuticals imported legally from Europe, then sold locally, as well as trafficked to Central America, Mexico and onward to the United States.

A synthetic drug, 2CB, also known as “pink cocaine,” is now the drug of choice in Bogotá’s upper-class party scene.

In Bogotá, a hit of 2CB can cost $70, while cocaine can be purchased for just $5 a gram.