Proposition presented to the Senate of the Republic of Colombia

by, among others, current president of the Republic, Andrés Pastrana Arango

Taken from Revista 2010, Edición No. 38, Febrero de 1992

Proposition presented by senator Eduardo Chávez[1]

"The Senate of the Republic expresses its deepest concern due to the appearance in the diverse mass media of information regarding the launching of a fumigation campaign in illicit crop zones, not on the basis of the purpose in itself of the goal sought by this campaign, but, on the contrary, on its implications for ecological and social peace, and in general for agro industrial development, which the use of these chemical elements or agro toxins entails.

In accordance with article 79 of the Constitution, which stipulates the right of all citizens to a healthy environment, and the state’s obligation to protect its diversity or integrity, we put forward the suggestion to the Ministers of Defense, Justice, Agriculture and Health, to suspend, if there is one, immediately, any campaign which tends to use chemical elements to eradicate illicit crops on Colombian territory, until that time at which the country be presented with the corresponding studies on the economic, environmental and social impact,which these type of assignments represent for the nation.

We resort, in this request, to Decree 2811 of 1974, Natural Resources and Environmental Code (Código de los Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente), which requires the presentation, for any project affecting the environment, of studies, which, in effect, we Honorable Senators are requesting of the Minister of the Defense; we are also adding to this petition what is provided by law 9 of 1979, National Sanitary Code (Código Sanitario Nacional.)

The senators undersigning this proposition are aware of the importance of eradicating poppy, marihuana and coca illicit crops, but additionally we consider that at the same time the Colombian state should preserve ecological, environmental and social peace, and in consequence develop eradication alternatives which do not go against national harmony. ”

Signed: Eduardo Chávez, Vera Grabe, Pedro Bonett, Andrés Pastrana, Mariestela Sanin Posada, Claudia Blum.