US lawmakers urge opposition to proposed Putumayo spraying pilot

What you need to know

• Representative Mark Pocan led a letter signed by 19 members of Congress asking the US secretary of state to oppose American financial or logistical support for resuming aerial fumigation in Colombia. The letter presents the signatories’ objections, rather than an independent assessment of the proposed pilot. 12
• The Colombian government proposed spraying up to 1,000 hectares of coca in Putumayo with glufosinate ammonium. It argues that aerial spraying could be a faster and safer eradication option in areas controlled by armed groups. Critics dispute the strategy’s long-term effectiveness and raise concerns about risks to people and ecosystems. 12
• A Mocoa administrative court has temporarily halted the pilot because required conditions had not been sufficiently demonstrated. The suspension is preventive and temporary, not a final ruling on whether the pilot is lawful. 3
• Colombia’s Constitutional Court has required safeguards for relevant aerial-spraying interventions, including environmental procedures and consultation with affected ethnic communities. The court proceedings over the proposed pilot concern whether applicable requirements have been demonstrated. 34
• Research on earlier glyphosate spraying, summarised by the UK government, reported associations with dermatological problems and miscarriages, but found no evidence of effects on respiratory disease. Those findings concern glyphosate, not the glufosinate ammonium proposed for this pilot. 51

Why this matters

The case brings together eradication policy, environmental and health concerns, and requirements for community participation. Evidence from earlier glyphosate campaigns cannot by itself establish the effects of a different herbicide in a pilot that has not proceeded. 145

What happens next

The pilot’s status depends on further court proceedings and whether authorities provide evidence and safeguards covering environmental effects, human health and consultation with affected communities. It is also unclear whether the US administration will provide any support or how it will respond to the lawmakers’ request. 13

What we know

• The proposed pilot had not proceeded at the time of the reporting. 13
• The suspension is temporary and preventive, rather than a final decision on the pilot’s legality. 3
• The proposed pilot would use glufosinate ammonium, while the earlier spraying research cited concerns glyphosate. 15
• The available reporting describes political positions and legal requirements, not measured outcomes from the proposed pilot. 123

What we don't know

• Whether the pilot will remain suspended after further proceedings or appeals. 3
• What evidence and safeguards authorities will provide on health, environmental effects and community consultation. 34
• Whether the pilot will proceed, and whether any independent monitoring would assess its effects on coca cultivation, ecosystems and local communities. 13
• Whether the US administration will provide financial or logistical support, or respond to the lawmakers’ request. 12

Read the reporting

This WildNews briefing synthesises and summarises reporting from the sources below. WildNews did not produce the original reporting. Learn more about how we use AI