Illicit Crops Sprayed With More Illicit Glyphosate: Colombia

Colombia's Constitutional Court has ordered the resumption of aerial fumigation of illicit crops with the even more illicit glyphosate.

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Voa Noticias reported that the ruling was made following a review of a legal injuction filed by indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the department of Choco. Both groups demanded prior consultation before their territory was sprayed with the chemical.

Suspended in October 2015 as a result of environmental and health problems, the court reiterated that the decision to lift the suspension “must be based on objective and conclusive evidence” demonstrating glyphosate is of no harm to health or the environment.

Glyphosate, a Monsanto developed herbacide used under its market trade name, RoundUp, has been linked to a slew of illnesses and medical conditions.

According to EcoWatch, glyphosate has been associated with various forms of cancer, attention deficit disorder, Alzheimer's disease, birth defects, anencephaly, autism, diabetes, depression, Parkinson's Disease, multiple scelorisis, and other illnessess.

After using glyphosate for 15 years, Colombia was the last country in the world to suspend the aerial spraying of this herbicide to combat illicit crops because of its harmful effects.

With 96,000 hectares of crops, Colombia is the world's largest grower of the coca leaf. It's also the largest producer of cocaine. According to a UN report, the country produced 646 tons of cocaine in 2015, a doubling of coca cultivation in the last two years.

Colombia's excessively high cocaine production is intricately linked to the equally exacerbated cocaine demand and consumption based in the U.S.