Once again the Colombian authorities have decided to target one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet as part of their policy of using planes to spray coca crops with herbicides. Coca farming has only recently appeared in this region and in 2004 it accounted for only 453 hectares of land, according to official figures. Despite the fact that we still know very little about the rich biodiversity and enormous potential of the Choco Bio-geographical region, those of us who are interested in developing our understanding of nature's complex ecosystems can't help but react to the ignorance shown by those who approve and commit to these aggressive approaches which cause social and environmental damage, in the name of improving security and defeating narco-terrorism.

This policy of aggressive intervention on lands occupied by afro-Colombian communities and indigenous peoples violates international agreements which Colombia has signed, such as ILO Agreement 168 which requires governments to consult in advance of any activities which could affect the social and territorial integrity and social structures of those who live there. The concerns that this measure has caused amongst the people of the Choco region are our concerns too. This declaration is signed by social organisations, the scientific community, ecologists, human rights organisations and citizens to assert our opposition to beginning crop fumigation in the Choco Bio-geographical Region on grounds of the serious impact that the “War against Drugs” inflicts on democracy, human rights, food security, human health and the environment of the drug producing countries where this policy is carried out.

One thing is very clear to us. Despite more than twenty years of aerial fumigations in Colombia, which have aimed to eradicate illegal crops and thereby reduce trafficking to Northern countries, the authorities are no closer to achieving the aims of the programme. While tropical jungles have been covered in toxic agro-chemicals, in the USA the consumption of narcotics has increased and street prices of drugs have decreased simply because the quality and quantity of production has remained fairly constant over the years. In this way vital ecosystems have been destroyed with irreversible consequences for the traditions and cultures of the ancient communities who live there.

We should not lose sight either of the geo-political and economic interests which lie behind the “Zero tolerance against drugs” strategy. Neither should we ignore the multi-million dollar business which leads many legal and illegal actors to become involved into drugs-trafficking related activities. In this business those who plant coca, cannabis and heroin poppies are just the very first and weakest link of the chain. Let's not deceive ourselves. The repressive crusade against drugs serves to feed social injustice and will negatively impact on future generations. A significant proportion of Gross National Product (GNP) is invested in anti-narcotics troops, helicopters, radars, light aircraft and all kinds of armaments, while figures show that more and more Colombian families are living in poverty.

“This is exactly what is in store for the Choco region and what we, the signatories to this letter, want to avoid”

It is not a secret to any Colombian that the Choco Biogeographical region which covers more than 5 million hectares of rainforests is home not just to an extraordinary store of biodiversity but also to many indigenous and afro-Colombian peoples. These people have survived by developing complex cultural processes to adapt to the special conditions they live in and have the right to continue occupy the territories they inherited from their ancestors and to fulfil their greatest wish to pass these lands on to their descendents. We have the same concerns for the peasant farmers and indigenous communities of Ecuador, where the effects of this policy, which is threatening to extend out to embrace the whole Andean region, are also being felt.

In accordance with these facts and in defence of the ancestral communities, of their knowledge and lands, we demand a halt to aerial fumigations using herbicides in Colombia and, in accordance with national legislation, we demand that fumigations are not carried out in areas which have fragile ecosystems, namely the Choco Biogegraphical Region and in National Natural Parks. Given the moral issues set out above, we ask that the local communities, social and scientific experts and international bodies interested in this issue should be brought together to seek peaceful solutions to this problem, as intelligence and human compassion require and demand.

Signed: Ecologistas en Acción