New episodes of the ColombiaCONNECT Podcast: Colombia, a sustainable challenge – on air
Our colleagues at ColombiaCONNECT recently published several episodes of their podcast Colombia, desafío sostenible. In each episode, two experts discuss and analyse different issues related to the war on drugs, rural development, and glyphosate spraying:
- Episode Three: In Colombia, the war on drugs, the armed conflict and rural development are different faces of the same problem: the weakness of the state and its inability to bring well-being to rural territories. The concentration of land and the lack of land titling contribute to the presence of illicit crops in the territories and particularly affect indigenous peoples. Guests include María del Pilar López, associate professor at Universidad de los Andes, and Rocío Caballero, coordinator of the legal action line of the Akubadaura community. Access the episode here.
- Episode Four: Colombia’s war on drugs has a particular distinction: it is the only country in the world that has employed aerial spraying of glyphosate as part of its forced eradication of illicit crops. What effects does this have on rural communities? Guests include constitutional lawyer Diana Carolina Bernal and peacebuilding historian Salomón Majbub. Access the episode here.
- Episode Five: There is much talk of the devastating effects of illicit crops on Colombia’s megadiversity, but evidence does not prove that this exists to the extent claimed. What is clear is that the legal and illegal economies that feed on the money flows produced by drug trafficking are one of the most serious causes of biodiversity loss in the country. Guests include Felipe García (Humboldt Institute), and Andrés Fernando Osorio Arias, professor at Universidad Nacional and executive director of CEMarin. Access the episode here.