Unmasking the War on Drugs

The Afro-Colombian communities Union del Rio Chagui, Recuerdo de Nuestros Ancestros del Rio Mejicano and Union del Rio Rosario in the state of Narino in southwestern Colombia decided to eliminate coca growing through an arduous program of manual eradication---removing coca plants by hand. They signed an agreement with the United Nations to eradicate coca in their lands. But, even though they had made this commitment and removed coca from their lands, the Colombian government, supported by the United States, has decided to spray their lands with concentrated glyphospate (Round-Up Ultra), which will kill their food crops. This reveals the real reason behind the fumigation campaign: to force them off their lands, so they can be taken over for large-scale African palm projects and economic development programs to benefit multinational mining and other companies seeking accesss to Colombia’s natural resources.

Please join the threatened Afro-Colombian communities in protesting the fumigation of their lands. Tell President Alvaro Uribe and his Ministers that you oppose fumigation and wish to see the Afro-Colombian communities’ rights to their lands and their way of life protected.

And tell President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and your Senators and Representatives in Congress that you oppose U.S.-promoted fumigation and want to see the U.S. Government protect the rights of the Afro- Colombian communities to their lands and their customs. Tell them it is clear that the supposed “War on Drugs” is a pretext for neo-liberal policies promoting multinational corporate interests at the expense of the Colombian people. Tell them you now know that no basis exists for fumigation of these lands and the excuse given that the lands are used for coca production is demonstrable false.

PLEASE WRITE : to your Senators and Representatives and suggest they take note of the failure of the War on Drugs in Colombia

To send messages to your members of Congress, please go to our website and see CSN’s Action Center: www.colombiasupport.net

To President Barack Obama
www.whitehouse.gov/contact

 To Secretary of State Hillary Clinton : secretary@state.gov
www.state.gov

To Mr. Alvaro Uribe – Velez, President of Colombia : E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
Fax: 57 1 566 2071
Or check his website www.presidencia.gov.co

 Tp Minister of Environment : Carlos Costa- Posada Dear Mr. Costa
ministro@minambiente.gov.co

 To the Director of the Colombian Police : Major  General Oscar Naranjo . Dear General Naranjo
 oscar.naranjo@correo.policia.gov.co


Original letter  in Spanish to President Obama
http://www.colombiasupport.net/2009/Carta_Final_mayo_12_09.pdf

 CSN ‘s English translation of original letter to President Obama
http://colombiasupport.net/2009/Open_letter_to_Obama_fromColombia_Pacfic_coast.pdf



Colombia Support Network
P.O. Box 1505
Madison, WI  53701-1505
phone:  (608) 257-8753
fax:  (608) 255-6621
e-mail:  csn@igc.org
http://www.colombiasupport.net