Bogota, Colombia—Today, a group of international civil society organizations released a joint statement expressing their concern over the intensification of Colombia’s forced eradication program. This militarized approach has not only proven to be ineffective in reducing coca production, but has also led to systematic human rights violations, including a string of extrajudicial killings committed by Colombian security forces. The deployment of thousands of Colombian troops to carry out counterproductive eradication operations throughout the country during a global pandemic risks spreading the COVID-19 virus amongst the most vulnerable communities. In addition, these forced eradication operations are in clear violation of the voluntary substitution pacts signed by rural communities, a cornerstone of the historic 2016 peace accords signed between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). 

​

The Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective (WFPSC) echoes the demands of  Colombian civil society for the Colombian government to fully investigate the killings committed by Colombian security forces and respect point 4 of the peace accords by placing a moratorium on forced eradication operations in communities that have already signed a collective substitution agreement. “If the U.S government continues to pressure the Colombian government to carry out forced eradication operations, in flagrant violation of the historic peace accords, we will continue to see these kinds of violations by Colombian security forces” cautioned Samantha Wherry, Colombia Program Coordinator for WFPSC. We urge the United States and the rest of the international community to support the successful implementation of the peace agreement.

You can read the full statement here in English and Spanish. 

 

 

Contact:

Samantha Wherry, Colombia Program Coordinator

+57 (322) 350-0664 | colombia@solidaritycollective.org