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News > Colombia

Colombia: Glyphosate Spraying Kills Native Species

  • Glyphosate sprays have been used previously in Colombia, without positive results.

    Glyphosate sprays have been used previously in Colombia, without positive results. | Photo: Twitter/ @Contagioradio1

Published 9 March 2020
Opinion

Ivan Duque’s administration plans to utilize the herbicide against illegal crops, a measure that follows Washington's designs.

Glyphosate spraying has led to the loss of Colombian aquatic endemic species, according to a publication by the National University of Colombia (UN).

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The Research Group on Aquatic and Environmental Toxicology of the University of Colombia found that species, such as the yamu, typically of the eastern plains, and the bocachico, the most economically important fish in Colombia, are highly sensitive to glyphosate, as other ornamental species like the “ghost fish." 

This certified information is key to prevent glyphosate spraying that the government wants to use against illegal crops in rural areas. 

According to experts, after experimenting with various amounts of glyphosate in the water where the fish lived, all the specimens died.  Among the adverse effects is the blue coloration of the blood, which indicates a lack of oxygen due to the herbicide. Fish also show damage to the liver, gills and nervous system.

Meanwhile, Pedro Arenas, director of the Viso Mutop Corporation's crop observatory, said in an interview with local media that the government's actions correspond to "disloyal orders that ignore what the Court, environmental groups and the community, in general, say about the return of the spraying and the evident effects it generates.

Arenas also explained that the voluntary eradication of illegal crops should be resorted to and that the communities should be approached as a viable way to avoid using glyphosate spraying, as environmental and human rights organizations have warned. ​​​​​​​\
Ivan Duque’s administration plans to utilize the herbicide against illegal crops, a measure that follows Washington's designs. This action would be a superficial palliative to that situation and had been criticized as a failed administrative strategy.

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