465: A History of Coca Prohibition in Colombia
For decades, coca eradication and substitution, to purportedly stop the cocaine trade at its source, were Colombia’s only policy responses to a plant that had always been part of its culture. These policies failed to reduce long-term coca cultivation, while harming the most vulnerable communities in the country and escalating the Americas’ longest civil war. The 2016 peace agreement marked the first significant shift towards a new approach, one that prioritized human rights and public health in the issue of coca. This week, David Restrepo of David Restrepo the Centro de Estudios sobre Seguridad y Drogas explains the history of this prohibition in Colombia and a great deal more. The Colombia News Brief is reported by journalist Emily Hart. Support the Colombia Calling podcast: www.patreon.com/colombiacalling