Kolumbien. Farmers prepare mass protests as Colombia abandons counternarcotics strategy

Colombia’s coca growers demand the resignation of the director of the government program to voluntarily eradicate coca, as the country’s counternarcotics strategy is collapsing.

The claim of Hernando Londoño, the director of crop substitution program PNIS, that “coca substitution leaders have not been assassinated” was the straw that broke the camel’s back for the coca farmers, who claim government betrayal left people starving.

In a press release, coca growers federation COCCAM said that at least 56 community leaders promoting and facilitating the removal of coca have been assassinated since the program took force in May 2017.

An additional 29 coca farmers who took part in the removal of coca have additionally been assassinated, COCCAM said.

In an interview with several media, coca growers said they were fed up with the bullshit of the administration of President Ivan Duque and said they would join national strikes that are being organized for March. (Colombia Reports, 29.01.2020)

https://colombiareports.com/farmers-prepare-mass-protests-as-colombia-abandoning-counternarcotics-strategy/