DNPA Eradicates 50,000 Coca Bushes and Dismantles Laboratory in Pico Bonito National Park

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By LatAm Reports Staff Writers

The official statement warns that cultivation of coca in protected areas poses a serious threat to biodiversity.

In recent hours, the National Anti-Drug Police Directorate (DNPA) carried out a high-impact operation in the mountainous area of Pico Bonito National Park, specifically in the village of San Marcos de La Masica, Atlántida, where 50,000 coca bushes grown in an area of approximately five blocks were eradicated and incinerated.

During the operation, a rustic structure used for the storage of chemical inputs and equipment for the production of coca base paste was also destroyed, police authorities reported.

The operation was coordinated with the support of the Special Operations Command of the National Directorate of Special Forces and the National Directorate of Community Prevention and Security (DNPSC), under Departmental Unit No. 1, together with the Special Prosecutor against Organized Crime (FESCCO) of San Pedro Sula.

This intervention is part of a comprehensive strategy to curb the advancement of illicit crops in protected areas of the country, such as Pico Bonito National Park, a nature reserve that covers more than 564 square kilometers and is key to the preservation of the environment.

The official communiqué warns that the cultivation of coca in protected areas poses a serious threat to biodiversity, as it pollutes soils and micro-bates vital to the ecological balance of these reserves, as well as endangering endemic flora and fauna.

The Pico Bonito National Park, declared as such in 1987, is one of Honduras’ natural jewels, housing more than 400 species of birds, numerous mammals and ecosystems ranging from tropical forests to cloud forests and crystalline rivers.

Authorities stressed that similar operations have revealed a worrying increase in illicit activities in protected areas, such as in the Plátano River Biosphere, where 90,000 coca bushes were recently eradicated and another clandestine structure destroyed.

Such illegal activities not only threaten ecosystems, but also put local communities at risk, generating environmental damage that could be irreversible if effective measures are not taken to stop the progress of organized crime in protected areas.

The actions undertaken are part of a sustained effort to preserve the country’s natural resources and ensure that these areas remain refuges for biodiversity and future generations.This article has been translate after first appearing in hondudiario.com

The official statement warns that cultivation of coca in protected areas poses a serious threat to biodiversity.

In recent hours, the National Anti-Drug Police Directorate (DNPA) carried out a high-impact operation in the mountainous area of Pico Bonito National Park, specifically in the village of San Marcos de La Masica, Atlántida, where 50,000 coca bushes grown in an area of approximately five blocks were eradicated and incinerated.

During the operation, a rustic structure used for the storage of chemical inputs and equipment for the production of coca base paste was also destroyed, police authorities reported.

The operation was coordinated with the support of the Special Operations Command of the National Directorate of Special Forces and the National Directorate of Community Prevention and Security (DNPSC), under Departmental Unit No. 1, together with the Special Prosecutor against Organized Crime (FESCCO) of San Pedro Sula.

This intervention is part of a comprehensive strategy to curb the advancement of illicit crops in protected areas of the country, such as Pico Bonito National Park, a nature reserve that covers more than 564 square kilometers and is key to the preservation of the environment.

The official communiqué warns that the cultivation of coca in protected areas poses a serious threat to biodiversity, as it pollutes soils and micro-bates vital to the ecological balance of these reserves, as well as endangering endemic flora and fauna.

The Pico Bonito National Park, declared as such in 1987, is one of Honduras’ natural jewels, housing more than 400 species of birds, numerous mammals and ecosystems ranging from tropical forests to cloud forests and crystalline rivers.

Authorities stressed that similar operations have revealed a worrying increase in illicit activities in protected areas, such as in the Plátano River Biosphere, where 90,000 coca bushes were recently eradicated and another clandestine structure destroyed.

Such illegal activities not only threaten ecosystems, but also put local communities at risk, generating environmental damage that could be irreversible if effective measures are not taken to stop the progress of organized crime in protected areas.

The actions undertaken are part of a sustained effort to preserve the country’s natural resources and ensure that these areas remain refuges for biodiversity and future generations.

This article has been translated after first appearing in hondudiario.com