Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
By Climate Change Dispatch (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Climate Disaster: Colombia Has Lost Nearly 1M Acres Of Amazon To Coca Growing

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


Historic levels of coca cultivation and other illicit activities at the hands of Communist terrorists have contributed to skyrocketing deforestation rates in Colombia since the rebels signed a peace pact with the government in 2016, official figures show.

At the end of last month, Iván Márquez, a commander in the U.S.-designated terrorist group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) – called on his followers to take up arms against the Colombian government again.

Márquez’ call to arms came less than three years after the FARC signed the peace agreement in late 2016.

According to a satellite figures-based report issued this year by the Colombian government, the acres of forest lost across the country significantly increased by nearly 60 percent from 2015 (306,497 acres), the year before the FARC demobilized, to 2018 (487,190 acres).

Between 2016, when rebels agreed to the peace deal, and last year, the overall loss of forest in all of Colombia reached an estimated 1,472,075 acres or an area nearly 34 times the size of Washington, DC.

Deforestation levels in all of Colombia did drop by ten percent from 543,565 in 2017 to 487,190 the following year.

In the Amazon Rainforest alone, often referred to as the Earth’s lung, Colombia has reportedly lost about 870,792 acres of forest, or an area about 20 times the size of the U.S. capital, during the peace deal — between 2016 and 2018.

Deforestation in the Amazon also dropped about four percent from 2017 (356,195 acres) to 2018 (341,440).

The Colombian government deemed coca cultivation, cocaine production, extensive cattle ranching, road construction, expansion of the agricultural frontier, as well as illegal mining and logging as the top contributors to deforestation in the country.

Several news reports have linked FARC rebels to several of the illicit activities fueling deforestation, including coca cultivation in addition to illegal mining and logging. There was also a rush of land-grabbing for cattle ranches after the FARC, which used to hide in the forest, reached the peace pact with the government.

The FARC is considered one of the most prominent cocaine traffickers in Latin America. Since the Marxist group signed the peace deal, Colombia has again become the world’s top cultivator and producer of cocaine.

Cocaine cultivation and production in the South American country reached the highest levels since the United States began keeping track after the peace agreement.

A recent White House report revealed that last year coca cultivation in Colombia covered an area of about 513,979 acres that yielded “887 pure metric tons” of cocaine.

The 2018 figures mark a “minor decrease” from the 516,450 acres under coca cultivation that produced “900 pure metric tons” of cocaine the previous year, the White House noted.

Lethal cocaine overdoses in the United States, one of the top destinations of the drug produced in Colombia, have dramatically increased since the signing of the peace deal between the FARC and Bogota.

In 2016, deadly cocaine overdoses in the United States resulted in a record 10,458 deaths, followed by 14,069 in 2017, and 14,794 last year, for a total of 39,321 fatalities, figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show.

While several world leaders blamed the conservative government of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for the recent fires in the Amazon, they have been mum about the FARC’s contribution to deforestation in the same region.

Read more at Breitbart


Source: https://climatechangedispatch.com/colombia-1m-amazon-coca-farms/


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!


Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST


Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser!  Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover -  Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.