Dozens of Colombian soldiers dug up coca bushes under the tropical sun on a stee...
TARAZA, Colombia - Dozens of Colombian soldiers dug up coca bushes under the tropical sun on a steep hillside near the Caribbean coast. Shovels in hand and guns slung across their backs in case of a sniper attack, they are part of their government’s stepped-up efforts to slash cocaine production under pressure from Washington.
Every day, the team of around 50 soldiers and 20 civilians destroys between two and three hectares of coca plants, a tiny fraction of the more than 200,000 hectares of plantations in Colombia last year, according to U.S. government figures. Authorities do not hire local workers, fearing drug gangs could target them for reprisals. Instead, they bring in laborers from distant parts of Colombia to work two to three months at a time to clear coca plantations in the jungle and mountains.
During peace talks, Santos pledged to prioritize voluntary replacement of coca over forced eradication. Many peasants then planted coca in hope of receiving subsidies, according to security sources. “This is an area of criminal interest and an area in conflict,” said General Juan Carlos Ramirez, commander of the seventh division of the army, which is eradicating coca plantations in the region.
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