Legal disputes arise over herbicide spraying in Colombia and pollution penalties in Argentina

In Colombia, the Ministry of Justice has filed an appeal against a judicial decision to suspend a pilot program for aerial spraying with glufosinate ammonium in Putumayo. The Ministry argues that the court applied the precautionary principle too broadly without establishing concrete risks. Officials stated that the program is a controlled, temporary phase intended to gather data on efficacy and environmental impact, rather than a general reactivation of large-scale eradication programs.

In Argentina, the Supreme Court of Justice has allowed for the potential increase of sentences for executives of the Los Balcanes Sugar Company, Jorge Alberto Rocchia Ferro and José Ramón Coronel. The case involves severe environmental damage caused by the discharge of hazardous industrial waste and massive spills of vinasse in Tucumán and Santiago del Estero between 2011 and 2013. While the executives were previously sentenced to conditional prison terms, prosecutors are seeking harsher penalties due to the severity of the environmental and health risks caused by the spills.