The victims of Colombia aerial fumigation
The victims of Colombia aerial fumigation
Apr 4, 2014 posted by Connor Paige
The rural farmers who are negatively impacted by aerial fumigation in Colombia are one of the most overlooked groups affected by the continuing drug conflict in the South American nation.
The livelihoods and health of small-scale farmers are continuously threatened by the damaging effects of chemical pesticides, dropped from government-contracted planes in Colombia’s remote regions. ‘Aerial fumigation’ targets the rural areas where coca cultivation is possible.
Colombia is one of the largest producers of cocaine in the world. The profitability of drug growing, production and trafficking has contributed to a decades old conflict in the country between left-wing, right-wing groups and non-ideological drug gangs struggling for control of the trade.
Colombia is estimated to supply around 90% of the cocaine that makes it to the United States. Since the overwhelming majority of cocaine entering the United States originates in Colombia the United States gives millions of dollars each year to Colombian anti-drug forces in a program called Plan Colombia. According to Mejia, the United States government continues to advocate aerial fumigation of coca fields despite clear human rights problems and proof that this eradication method costs exponentially more than attacking drug traffickers.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/victims-aerial-fumigation/
