Colombia revives spraying of coca fields with drones amid renewed US cooperation
South American nation in 2015 suspended aerial spraying of glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer in humans, over concerns about its negative health impact
Colombia has resumed spraying drug fields with a toxic chemical using drones, the US embassy in Bogota has said, after a meeting between the two nations' leaders eased tensions.
"Colombia has launched drone eradication of coca crops" with support from the US government, Washington's mission in Bogota wrote on social media on Friday.
"This technology could be game-changing: lower coca cultivation, more security in Colombia, less deadly drugs reaching American streets, and more lives saved."
The South American nation in 2015 suspended the aerial spraying of glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer in humans, over concerns about its negative health impact.
US President Donald Trump and leftist counterpart Gustavo Petro met last week at the White House to smooth diplomatic tensions that had been building over the last year.
They pledged to resume historic military cooperation between Washington and Bogota, and to jointly combat guerrilla groups and drug cartels.
Growing pressure from US
Petro's government announced in December that it would resume the spraying of drug crops under growing pressure from the Trump administration, which is demanding a tougher anti-drug policy in Colombia.
The Colombian justice ministry presented the new drug crop eradication policy in December.
It said drones would fly 1.5 metres (5 feet) above coca fields and carry out "controlled" spraying to prevent the chemical from affecting communities.
Since taking office in 2022, Petro has followed a "total peace" policy to disband all armed groups through dialogue.
But six months before he leaves office, the efforts have yielded few results, forcing the president to shift towards a tougher war on drugs.