'Total peace': a new plan to end Colombia's drug war

11/25/22 • 28 min

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For decades, Colombia has been plagued by violent conflict involving armed groups and drug cartels. Despite many attempts to curb the problem, including a landmark peace deal with the country's largest rebel group in 2016, cocaine production continues to proliferate in Colombia. Now, President Gustavo Petro is implementing a new "total peace" plan to deal with the drug problem. He says that the war on drugs has been a failure and wants a drug policy approach that focuses on human rights and not criminal justice. This week, the government began talks with a wide array of rebel groups in an attempt to reach a multilateral ceasefire. But will this new plan work? That's the question we're looking to answer this week on Nothing is Foreign. We'll also look at the devastating human toll of Colombia's drug war so far, and why it's an issue that has implications far beyond its borders. Featuring: David Restrepo, director of research at the Center for Studies on Security and Drugs at the University of the Andes in Bogota

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