Cablegate: Media Reaction: Aerial Eradication

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UNCLAS BOGOTA 008174

SIPDIS

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

Op-ed by Professor of the Institute of Political Studies and
Foreign Relations of National University Eduardo Pizarro-
Leongomez in leading national daily El Tiempo (8/29)
entitled: "The Silence Of The Innocents," states:

"In the last few months, columnist Daniel Samper-Pizano has
been very critical of the Interior Minister's proposal to
use glyphosate to fight the increase of coca and poppy crops
in National Parks... Samper-Pizano's proposal to use manual
eradication... seems to neglect... a terrible reality: In
Colombia unlike Bolivia, the illicit crops are protected by
armed groups. That is why all anti-drugs operations result
in a battle... So the cost could become very high in human
lives and the results would be insignificant... Daniel
Samper's innocent position... may contribute to the
destruction of what he wants to protect: the Natural Parks.
And this could end up supporting the interests of those who
do not feel any respect for nature: paramilitaries,
guerillas and narcotraffickers... At the moment, the fight
against the growing destruction of the Natural Parks is
paralyzed, and their destruction continues to increase (and
not because of glyphosate, since it is not being used).
Wouldn't glyphosate be the lesser of the two evils? This is
a key question for the future of the nation."

WOOD

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