FARC and Coke

[American_Trotskyist]

Ok, if FARC does grow coca and make Coke, how do they grow it? Are the workers treated well? Are they Unionized? Is it produced in a Socialist way? If so you can justify buying Cocaine more than buying Coca-Cola

[RASH chris]

My understand of the FARC's involvement with the coca trade is that they just tax it. They don't grow it, they don't sell it, they don't transport it, they don't even touch it. They just tax the people who do grow it, and they (maybe, I'm not sure about this) provide security for the transport of it. Or perhaps they transport it and charge for that. But either way, I'm almost positive that they aren't involved with the production of it.

[Bolshevist]

It is very minimal. They have also created order in villages were there was total chaos before, enforcing the no drug/alcohol except for weekends, if people are caught not following this rule they are placed to work at local projects that the government should be doing such as bulding bridges, roads and other useful work.

What is also interesting to note is that when Plan Colombia was under way the Americans only sprayed pestecide on crops where the guerrillas were present, not areas controled by paramilitary organisations such as the AUC (Self-defence force of Colombia). Heck, even the leader of AUC agreed that Plan Colombia was a good idea!