Public Attitudes Toward Forced Eradication: Protest, Gender, and Politics in Colombia

What drives public support for drug policies? This paper studies public opinion on the forced eradication of illicit coca crops in Colombia, focusing on the influence of social mobilization and racial identity. We conducted a nationally representative vignette experiment to gauge citizens’ support for eradicating illicit crops using aerial spraying. Our findings reveal three main patterns: i) Community protests against forced eradication significantly shape support for such measures, regardless of voters’ political affiliation and demographic characteristics. ii) Support for forced eradication is highly partisan, with less backing among left-wing supporters. iii) Gender notably influences attitudes towards forced eradication policies, with women displaying greater resistance. These findings underscore the importance of demographic and political factors, considering both those directly affected by eradication and those forming opinions about it, in shaping public opinion on drug policy. We discuss the policy implications and suggest directions for future research.