Chemical Warfare in Colombia: The Costs of Coca Fumigation (Latin America Bureau Short Books)

Chemical spraying is being used in Colombia as a deterrent and to destroy ‘illicit’ coca crops. But most people growing coca are poor campesinos with no alternatives to make a living. Whole towns, rivers, livestock and legitimate food crops have been sprayed and livelihoods destroyed by these US-administered fumigation programmes, backed by the Colombian state. This path-breaking book of investigative journalism (remember that ?!) lifts the veil on fumigation: why is it happening and who really benefits? O’Shaughnessy travels to the Putumayo and Bolivar departments of Colombia, where most of the spraying takes place, talking to those affected. He draws a vivid and damning picture of a futile and indiscriminate chemical war, waged largely on the poor.