US Democrats urge Marco Rubio to oppose Colombia aerial spraying

A group of 19 U.S. Democratic lawmakers, led by Representative Mark Pocan and including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to oppose Colombia’s plans to restart aerial spraying of coca crops.

The lawmakers expressed concerns that the program, which the Trump administration has reportedly encouraged, poses significant threats to human health and the fragile ecosystems of the Amazon rainforest. They specifically questioned the use of glufosinate ammonium, a herbicide that the World Health Organization has identified as a dangerous pesticide and which is banned in the European Union.

The Colombian government has proposed a pilot project to spray up to 1,000 hectares in the Putumayo department. While officials state the project will be controlled and exclude protected areas and water sources, a local court in Putumayo has temporarily suspended the execution of the pilot, citing a failure to meet requirements established by the Constitutional Court. The Democratic group also requested clarification on whether the U.S. would provide financial or logistical support for the initiative.