Murder in Colombia’s peace laboratory
A long history of state absence fuels the mistrust of the government
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Colombian campesinos in Briceño, Antioquia have voluntarily uprooted their coca plants in exchange for government support to grow new crops. But with much aid delayed, the local economy has collapsed, and the presence of a newly formed dissident FARC group threatens to bring more violence. While families have received bimonthly payments for pulling out their crops, other parts of the program to support a transition to other crops haven’t materialized. The program also promised that families would receive goods worth stipulated amounts of money to allow them to develop three different productive projects: small subsistence farms; short-term projects in the first year to help them make money after cash payments ended; and additional funding for long-term projects.
