MEDIA REACTION: AERIAL ERADICATION

UNCLAS BOGOTA 008174 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC PREL SNAR PGOV CO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: AERIAL ERADICATION Op-ed by Professor of the Institute of Political Studies and Foreign Relations of National University Eduardo Pizarro- Leongomez in leading national daily El Tiempo (8/29) entitled: "The Silence Of The Innocents," states: "In the last few months, columnist Daniel Samper-Pizano has been very critical of the Interior Minister's proposal to use glyphosate to fight the increase of coca and poppy crops in National Parks... Samper-Pizano's proposal to use manual eradication... seems to neglect... a terrible reality: In Colombia unlike Bolivia, the illicit crops are protected by armed groups. That is why all anti-drugs operations result in a battle... So the cost could become very high in human lives and the results would be insignificant... Daniel Samper's innocent position... may contribute to the destruction of what he wants to protect: the Natural Parks. And this could end up supporting the interests of those who do not feel any respect for nature: paramilitaries, guerillas and narcotraffickers... At the moment, the fight against the growing destruction of the Natural Parks is paralyzed, and their destruction continues to increase (and not because of glyphosate, since it is not being used). Wouldn't glyphosate be the lesser of the two evils? This is a key question for the future of the nation." WOOD