Marco Vernaschi, Italy, for Pulitzer Center A score between small drug dealers is settled. In the end, the captive was abandoned, but not killed. Guinea-Bissau, one of the poorest nations in the world, has become a hub for cocaine trafficking, as South American drug cartels seek new smuggling routes to Europe. With over 100 islands off its coast and a navy with no working boats, Guinea-Bissau offers a haven for drop-offs, storage and movement of cocaine.