Chemical spraying in Colombia threatens children's lives
Chemical spraying in Colombia threatens children's lives
By staff writers
9 Aug 2013
An indigenous community in Northwest Colombia, subjected to controversial aerial-spraying of coca crops, is demanding that the government respect their rights, land and their lives.
Thomas Mortensen, country manager for development agency Christian Aid in Colombia, said: "The local Embera community has reported that the aerial spraying has contaminated their water and crops and is causing community members, including children, to fall sick. This is a clear violation of their rights."
Mr Mortensen said the Colombian government must respect indigenous people’s rights and abide by Colombian Constitution and ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, which both grant the right of prior consultation to indigenous people for activities on their land.
"If these agreements were upheld, the Colombian authorities could have worked with the indigenous community to manually eradicate the coca in the area and protect the Embera community from outsiders," he added.
On 22 July 2013, the Colombian Air force began a process of spraying of illicit crops in Alto Guayabal, in Chocó region, north-western Colombia. The aircraft sprayed herbicide indiscriminately, reportedly into areas where there were no illicit crops but only food crops.
The Embera do not oppose the eradication of coca, indeed in 2012 they approached the government asking for help to eradicate it, whilst expressing total rejection of aerial-spraying.
Colombia is the only country in the world that permits aerial-spraying of drug producing crops. The practice has been repeatedly condemned by human rights and environmental activists because of its effect on humans and local soil and water systems.
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http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18769
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