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| Colombian Coca Crop Rises Despite Spraying |
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Posted by FoM on March 01, 2002 at 17:40:51 PT By Eli J. Lake, UPI State Department Correspondent Source: United Press International 
Early U.S. estimates show that coca cultivation in southern Colombia have increased despite more than one year of spraying."While joint eradication destroyed thousands of hectares of Colombian coca in areas where aircraft could spray, overall coca cultivation probably increased in 2001," said a State Department report on narcotics released Friday. Coca is the primary source of cocaine. The International Narcotics Control Strategy report, however, said final estimates on coca cultivation in the region were not available at the time of the report's release. But United Press International has learned that the CIA's own initial estimates show that, in fact, the cultivation increased. "Early estimates from the CIA indicate that cultivation was up in both the Putumayo and Caqueta regions of southern Colombia," a U.S. official told UPI Friday. U.S.-supported eradication has focused on the two regions. The CIA uses satellite imagery of coca fields and its own sampling data to estimate the flow of cocaine into the United States. Colombia on Thursday announced the overall coca cultivation in their region had decreased by 11 percent since November. One problem for the U.S. drug war in the region is that efforts to encourage the replacement of the coca crops in Putumayo, the densest land area for coca cultivation in the world, has failed. An internal U.S. Agency for International Development report commissioned last year reveals that Colombian farmers in the Putumayo continued to grow coca despite signing pacts with the Colombian government and promising not to plant new crops. A U.S.-funded plan to offer infrastructure development for the region in return for agreements from the farmers to grow hearts of palm, rice and yucca promised the local farmers they would be immune from herbicide sprays for one year. But U.S. crop dusters began spraying the region in November last year upon learning that new coca crops had been planted. The report authored by development expert Robert Gersony was completed last month, but the final version was classified. "What his conclusion was that this fragile ecosystem, which in the past has supported a rain forest, is not the kind of soil structure that you want for large scale agriculture and therefore the notion of large plantations of licit agricultural products is not a probable successful outcome," a senior State Department official told UPI last month. But other sources familiar with the report also point out that Gersony found the region's soil composition could not sustain the crops U.S. officials had initially hoped the Colombian farmers would use to replace coca. The latest U.S. estimates for coca cultivation in Colombia come as the country's military has stepped up its campaign against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The new State Department report estimates that drug trafficking accounts for $300 million in revenue for the rebel group annually. Washington has increased its support for the country's embattled leader, President Andres Pastrana, in recent weeks. Last Friday, the State Department announced it would soon send military spare parts to Bogota and step up intelligence sharing with the government. The Bush administration's budget request for 2003 asks Congress to approve $98 million in funding to train battalions guarding the Cano-Limon oil pipeline, Colombia's second largest. Source: United Press International Related Articles & Web Site: Colombia Drug War News Colombia Says It Cut Coca Crop US, Colombia Engaged in Numbers War Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #4 posted by monvor on March 02, 2002 at 04:54:55 PT |
| Columbia is rich with oil. The Columbians say that coca production is down, and it probably is. However, the CIA says production is up. In my view, a long term plan to get the oil from Columbia relys heavily on the WOD. So, now matter what, coca production will never go down. Even if the whole contry was sprayed to dust. If the spraying was working then there would be little need to put more money into the project. The Columbian certainly do not want their country to be another Afghanistan, but it will happen on the present course. I predict some terrorist act perpetrated on US shores and blamed on the FARC. ( Say doesnt the FARC make anthrax. Yeah thats the ticket ) This would give the US the moral authority to pretty much invade Columbia with a private army, wipe out the FARC, bolster the puppet regime already in place, and then pump the oil without interuption. Besides, the US doesn't want Columbia to become another Saudi Arabia. When the owning contry has too much control, they take too much of the profit. So, buy shares in OXY As far as the CNN graphic goes. This particular graphic shows the flag of Columbia above the us flag, a map with Columbia highlighted, a Cannabis Leaf, and some dollar signs. It is very noticable that CNN and most local new networks use the Cannabis leaf as a generic sign for drugs. Even though cocain is usually the topic. I must admit that this graphic is more ridiculous that usually seen. Lets see. A background of the US flag with not 50 but 77 stars. 27 new stars, one for each country in South America. Then over that, perhaps a picture of South America with little oil rigs all over it. Then, to top it off, on the side, Hmmm. Ah yes, an Caddillac SUV. Thats it. While I opine, I have not seen any recent articles on what happens when Columbian children get sprayed with Roundup. That would be an appropriate graphic, but it wouldnt sell the spray/invade/pump strategy. All IMHO [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #3 posted by Jose Melendez on March 02, 2002 at 04:53:12 PT:
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| It used to bother me that marijuana is the first and often only drug "cracked down on".
Now I realize that it is easier to point out the truth when the other side is consistently lying. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 01, 2002 at 22:07:23 PT |
| I really mind this picture. Does anyone else? Report: U.S. should boost its anti-drug efforts in Colombia Picture: http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/01/drug.report/story.colombia.us.drug.jpg [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by legalizeit on March 01, 2002 at 20:54:13 PT |
| As long as their futile drug war keeps the value of coca artificially sky high, there is no way that they are going to encourage farm peasants to cultivate legal crops!! >drug trafficking accounts for $300 million in revenue for the rebel group annually. Try making $300M growing corn, rice and yucca! Our politicians' utter stupidity is stupefying. [ Post Comment ] |
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