In Colombia, the new president Gustavo Petro multiplies the proposals to fight against drug trafficking: on Wednesday August 24, he had called on the traffickers to surrender, promising them not to extradite them to the United States. Yesterday, he went to the region of Catatumbo, the first coca-producing region in the world and one of the main drug trafficking routes. The president has called on coca growers to discuss with his government. Objective: convince them to abandon this culture, and turn to the legal economy.
This Wednesday, August 24, the security agents of the Colombian president who were preparing his visit to the Catatumbo region had been shot. This did not prevent Gustavo Petro from being there two days later. Objective: to put an end to drug trafficking and therefore to the violence of armed gangs. This drug trafficking of which he considers that the coca growers are the victims. And this Friday, August 26, he made them a proposal.
Guarantee a ” better quality of life »
” I thinkhe said, that it is a very interesting idea to hold in Catatumbo the first meeting of coca growers: to achieve that a family that cultivates coca leaf, and coca paste, can replace this with an activity that guarantees them better quality of life; an activity that also allows his children and grandchildren to progress. If we increase the current production in Catatumbo, the violence will increase, the number of deaths and massacres will increase, social leaders will be assassinated, there will be even more mass graves. »
” total peace »
No date has yet been given for this meeting of coca growers, but Gustavo Petro announced that he had asked mayors, governors, the Catholic Church and peasant organizations to organize ” rapidly a new encounter. The president promised that Catatumbo would become “ the capital » and the « First line ” of the ” total peace he promises.
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