From the beginning of the talks between the government and the FARC-EP, the parties agreed that building a stable and lasting peace was not possible without a comprehensive solution to the problem of illicit drugs, bearing in mind that the cultivation, production and commercialisation of illicit drugs have been part of, fuelled and financed the armed conflict.
In addition, many regions and communities in the country, especially those in conditions of poverty and abandonment, have been directly affected by this phenomenon, leading to their increased marginalisation, inequity and lack of development. In general, the production and commercialisation of illicit drugs and criminal economies have had serious effects on the Colombian population, both in the countryside and in the city, affecting the enjoyment and exercise of their rights and freedoms. Based on this vision, in May 2014, the parties agreed on Point 4 of the Agreement entitled: “Solution to the Problem of Illicit Drugs”.
Sub-point 4.1 proposed the Comprehensive National Programme for the Substitution of Illicit Crops (PNIS) as a fundamental part of the Comprehensive Rural Reform (Point 1). This integration implies that there is an interrelation and linking between the substitution of illicit crops and the processes of structural transformation of the countryside. Furthermore, an indisputable foundation that was raised at the Negotiating Table from the beginning is that the success of the definitive solution to the problem of illicit crops lies in the willingness of peasant communities to take alternative paths to illicit crops and the government’s commitment to generate a joint solution, and to guarantee decent living and working conditions for well-being and good living in the Colombian countryside.
In this section you will find explanations and reflections on the negotiation on the substitution of illicit crops, the criteria, components and tools that make up the PNIS, the lessons learned, and the adjustments made to the programme.
