Cablegate: Media Reaction: Eradication

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS BOGOTA 005006

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC PREL SNAR PGOV CO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: ERADICATION

1. Op-ed in national daily El Tiempo (5/24) by
environmentalist and priest Andres Hurtado entitled:
"Colombia Needs to be Washed with Dirty Glypho-dirty,"
argues:

"Besides poisoning the soil, glyphosate proves that the
truth is modifiable and responds to power... Let us not lie
to ourselves: glyphosate falls from the sky because here (in
Colombia) the United States rules... the logical thing is to
eradicate manually..."

2. Op-ed by economist Alejandro Gaviria in weekly El
Espectador (5/22) entitled: "Forest Park Rangers in
Wonderland," notes:

"The failure of the Park Ranger Family program has been
added to the inefficiency of aerial eradication... the U.S.
and the European model are equally illusive. Neither one
works. And better yet, both prove that in this wonder
world, you do not get anywhere in the fight against drug
trafficking."

WOOD

© Scoop Media