Cablegate: Com's Response to Editorial Challenging Aerial Coca
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS BOGOTA 004649
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC PREL SNAR PGOV CO
SUBJECT: COM'S RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL CHALLENGING AERIAL COCA
ERADICATION IN NATIONAL PARKS
REF: BOGOTA 4612
1. (U) In response to national leading daily El Tiempo's
editorial May 16, "Not in the Parks," (Reftel) affirming
that aerial eradication in national parks would lead to
irreparable environmental and human damages, COM provided
the following response published as a letter to the editor
in the same daily on May 17.
BEGIN TEXT:
"I read your May 16 editorial on coca aerial eradication in
the parks with disappointment, especially the assertions
that adequate safety precautions are not taken or that
glyphosate might be in violation of international treaties
to protect the environment.
I enclose the Executive Summary of a 143-page, multi-year
scientific study on glyphosate published by the OAS six
weeks ago, which is also available on the embassy web site
(http://bogota.usembassy.gov). Page 15 contains the key
conclusin: `el glifosato y el Cosmo-Flux tal y como se usan
en el programa de erradicacin de Colombia no se presentaban
un riesgo significativo para la salud humana...se consider
que para el ambiente y para los animales terrestres los
riesgos del uso del glifosato y Cosmo-Flux era pocos o
nulos...se recomienda que se mantengan las prcticas de
aplicacin actuales de la aspersin para la
erradicacin....'. [QUOTE IN ENGLISH: ...glyphosate and
Cosmo-Flux as used in the eradication program in Colombia
did not present a significant risk to human health...for the
environment, risks from the use of glyphosate and Cosmo-Flux
to terrestrial animals were judged to be small to
negligible...it is recommended that the current application
ation
practices for eradication spraying be retained... END QUOTE
IN ENGLISH].
It is difficult to see how a respected international
organization could recommend continuation of a practice that
violated international agreements. More to the point, since
more than 85 percent of the glyphosate in Colombia is used
by commercial farmers, not in the eradication program, El
Tiempo either should call for total ban of one of the most
popular, environment-friendly herbicides in the world or
accept the scientific evidence. Simply opposing its use in
national parks makes no sense."
END TEXT
WOOD