At least 120 Colombian military personnel remain stranded for two days in a camp on the border with Venezuela, surrounded by coca growers who oppose operations to eradicate illegal crops, the general staff announced yesterday (Monday).
These military personnel were "carrying out a mission to eradicate illegal crops" in Tibou, in the Norte de Santander prefecture, when they were ambushed by growers who seized them by hexapine and forced them to retreat to the military base, the headquarters explained.
An official told Agence France-Presse that at least 120 soldiers have been pinned down in the camp of the Canio Indio battalion since May 7.
General Omar Sepulveda condemned the siege of his men, calling them "kidnapped" by "more than 300 coca growers" armed with "stones" and "clubs" and adding that the "water and electricity supply has been cut off" at the facility.
Record production
Tibu is located in the Katatubo region, home to the world's largest area of drug cultivation, with some 400,000 acres where coca - the plant whose leaves are the raw material in the cocaine production process - has been planted, according to the United Nations.
In October, some 180 soldiers on a similar mission were held captive by farmers at a school before being released after being mediated by the national authority for the protection of human rights, according to AMP.
According to authorities, rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN), as well as defectors from the former rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who reject the 2016 peace agreement, are operating in the area and benefiting from the proceeds of drug trafficking.
Outgoing conservative President Ivan Duque has escalated efforts to crack down on drug trafficking, particularly with the destruction of crops, carried out by hand by soldiers who are often confronted by growers.
With a record production of 1,010 tons in 2020, Colombia has always ranked first in the world in terms of cocaine production. The USA is the country where the largest quantities are consumed.
Source: in.gr
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