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Uribe wants growing coca penalized

Colombia news - coca farmer

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe wants peasants "who persist in growing coca to be put in jail," he said Sunday.

Colombia so far has focused its drug war on the eradication of coca, and the criminal prosecution of those processing and trafficking cocaine. Coca farmers, who mostly live in the poorest areas of Colombia have never been considered criminals.

According to the President, this must change, because without drastic measures like sending peasants to jail the planting of coca will never stop.