US expands extradition powers, raising fears among Colombia’s coca farmers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Colombia Reports

US expands extradition powers, raising fears among Colombia’s coca farmers

written by Jack Norman May 23, 2016

US President Barack Obama signed into law an expansion of counter-narcotics prosecutors’ power that has alarmed Colombians who fear small coca growers could be extradited.

The law seeks the extradition of anyone involved in the production and trafficking of drugs to the US, which implicitly means coca farmers could be requested for extradition.

A spokesman for coca farmers in northeast Colombia told local media the expanded powers of US prosecutors is “absurd” and “very dangerous.”

“This act goes against the deals made (between the Colombian government and drug-trafficking FARC guerrillas) in Havana and sows doubt among thousands of Colombian families who have had to grow coca as the only alternative” to legal crops that are unable to timely reach consumption markets from remote areas.

Read more: http://colombiareports.com/us-expands-extradition-powers-raises-fears-among-colombias-coca-farmers/

[Feeling the Bern]

1. When is this fucking drug war shit going to end? It has failed miserably.

[askeptic]

4. ...and why is Obama such a dedicated drug warrior?

One would have hoped he could have displayed some real progressivism on this in the last 8 years, and instead he keeps supporting the drug warrior culture. We couldn't possibly give a small payment to the farmers involved - no - we want to spend all our money on the drug warriors.

There are so many that now derive their livelihoods from the drug war that they are afraid of it ending, regardless of the worlds people who take the real brunt of the drug war, by continuing to provide money and power to extra-government gangs and rebels, along with the terrorists. Prohibition has never worked and never will. It just raises the price to lucrative levels to allow terrorists and gangs to fund themselves. Why is he so blind about this?

[jtuck004]

2. Kids- ask and you can get a picture of our pres to put on your wall. After we take your parents,

maybe you can use it to keep you company.

[SusanLarson]

3. Our Laws end at our borders

Anything else is exta-constutional.

[jomin41]

5. This will cost lives.

Not just the farmers and their families. Pablo Escobar almost destroyed Colombia because of his fear of extradition.