Colombia steps up coca eradication operations during lockdown

Human rights organisations in Colombia have criticised the government for stepping up its efforts to eradicate coca plants during the pandemic.

Despite a full lockdown in the country, the Colombian government has intensified the manual eradication of coca plants in remote parts of the country.

It is the main ingredient for cocaine and is grown in remote parts of the country by growers who depend on the crop for their livelihood.

Their representatives, and an international coalition of human rights organisations, are demanding a stop to the operations for health reasons.

Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti reports from the capital Bogota.