GOC "READY" TO SPRAY IN PARKS

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003040

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

DEPT FOR INL, WHA/AND

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PTER CO
SUBJECT: GOC "READY" TO SPRAY IN PARKS


1. (SBU) GOC Minister of Defense Jorge Alberto Uribe
Echavarria informed the Ambassador on March 29 that the
Government of Colombia is ready to initiate aerial
eradication operations in Colombia's national parks and
natural reserves. Spraying in the parks has been a
particularly contentious counter-narcotics issue and a step
that the GOC has avoided to date despite mounting evidence
of increasing illicit cultivation within park boundaries.


2. (SBU) Spraying coca with glyphosate in national parks has
been politically sensitive in Colombia. NAS Director will
work closely with Colombian National Police Antinarcotics
Director General Gomez Heredia to reduce the political cost
of this important step forward. The NAS Director will also
work closely with General Gomez to ensure that all necessary
preparations are made in advance of final clearance from
President Alvaro Uribe. A GOC inter-institutional
scientific committee is finalizing environmental and social
assessments for each park, as required by Colombian law
before spraying may commence. The GOC continues to explore
alternatives to spraying and plans to continue both forced
and voluntary manual eradication in the parks when security
conditions permit such operations.


3. (SBU) The next step is to prepare and forward a
determination by the Secretary to Congress on spraying in
the parks, as required by U.S. law before any Andean
Counterdrug Initiative funds are used for such purposes.
According to the 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the
Secretary must determine that spraying in the parks "is in

SIPDIS
accordance with Colombian laws and that there are no
effective alternatives to reduce drug cultivation in these
areas." Embassy has forwarded draft text to the Department
via other channels.

WOOD