The Government of Colombia (GOC) began the manual eradication program in 2005 as a project to complement aerial eradication’s efforts, particularly in those areas where spray is impossible – borders, rivers, and National Parks. This year, manual eradication has eliminated over 40,000 hectares of coca. However, civilian manual eradicators and the Police, Army, and Navy units that protect them have faced increasing deaths and injuries from FARC ambushes, mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices). These tactics are intended by the illegally armed groups to protect their coca and prevent the entry of state security forces into the jungle they control.
