El Salvador officials have announced the deployment of more than 3,000 troops to protect coffee farms from theft — a puzzling move, given that crop theft is not considered one of the major threats to the country’s coffee industry.
Justice and Public Security Minister Rogelio Rivas announced in November the National Plan for Coffee Security 2019-20, which calls for the deployment of 1,600 police and 1,700 soldiers to combat robbery, theft and smuggling of raw coffee beans, reported La Prensa Gráfica. Officials say that the security force will also protect some 50,000 coffee workers — including owners and farmers — from extortion and other threats, reported Seguridad 360.
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