Illegal drugs and human rights of peasants and indigenous communities: the case of Colombia

Peasant and indigenous communities have been the weakest link in the drug trafficking production chain in the Andean countries, and thus it is important to investigate and understand the association between the illegal drugs industry and the violation of the human rights of these social groups. In order to advance this line of inquiry, this essay focuses first on why the illegal drugs industry establishes itself in a region or country and on the relationship between the industry and human rights violations. Next, it explores the association between the development of the illegal drugs industry and its impact on the human rights of the peasant and indigenous communities of Colombia, including the effects of illicit plantings on social decomposition, forced displacement, childhood and food security. This section also analyses the effects of anti-drug policies on human rights in Colombia. It pays special attention to human rights in rehabilitation and consolidation zones, to the criminalization of small coca and poppy growers and to the aerial spraying strategy implemented by the Colombian Government. And, it examines State interventions in human rights situations with particular emphasis on the role of the early warning system, the campaign to prevent the recruitment of minors, the Houses of Justice, the community defenders, and the strategy to decentralize human rights. The following section investigates the relationship between human rights and the armed forces and the police. Finally, it looks at citizens responses to human rights violations with special attention to peace communities, the Nasa community project and other precautionary measures. (Author's abstract)