Eradicating Peace: The Other Side of the Colombian War on Drugs

press release: A talk with Leider Valencia and short documentary film, The Coca Trap/Non-Narcos: Colombia’s coca growers fight for alternative to their trade

7-8:30pm, Wednesday, October 9, Anderson Auditorium

Leider Valencia is Colombian National Coordinator of the Growers of Coca, Poppy, and Marijuana (COCCAM), which is trying to find alternative crops to grow that will give them a living wage to support their families.  Through his perspective as a campesino organizer, Leider will discuss forces threatening the Colombian peace process in rural areas and how movements in the U.S may contribute to solidarity in action.  COCCAM emerged with the objective of promoting the implementation of point 4 (Solution to the problem of illicit drugs) of the peace accords in Havana. Paramilitaries have assassinated more 38 leaders participating in this movement.

This Witness for Peace speaker tour  touches on the grassroots efforts by afro-Colombians, campesinos and indigenous peoples working towards alternative sustainable development in areas hard-hit by the internal armed conflict as well as fumigations and forced eradication/militarization. These struggles come in the aftermath of the 2016 peace accords between FARC and the Colombian government as well as a staggering number of assassinations against environmental, land and indigenous rights defenders. These leaders will discuss the recent Minga in Cauca, Colombia which was met by tremendous violence by the state security forces leaving at least 16 people dead. The speaker will discuss the various forces threatening the Colombian peace process and how movements in the U.S may contribute in defending it.