Lima, August 28 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The Peru-based Center for Research on Drugs and Human Rights made statements on Thursday regarding their contributions to a study on drug eradication policies and the state of human rights in Latin America.         

According to the center, the policies implemented by the Peruvian government for over 20 years in alignment with the United States have failed and are the cause for major human rights violations against farmers in drug trafficking areas. The overall study was compiled by the Center for Legal and Social Studies in Argentina in collaboration with 17 organizations throughout the region.      
   
The spokesman for the Center for Research on Drugs and Human Rights, Ricardo Soberón, argued that “an environment of authoritarianism and arbitrariness is reproduced with lack of transparency [and] accountability. This has ultimately led to a severe situation of violating the fundamental rights of farmers that are suspected to be members of Shining Path or drug traffickers. This situation is maintained year after year under the pretext of fear and it does not allow to resolve the problems of poverty."

The Shining Path was an armed political group that murdered tens of thousands of civilians during the 80's and 90's. A comparable number of murders were also committed by the government during that time, when they waged war against the political group. Small remnants of the group are now cocaine traffickers in a remote area of the Peruvian Amazon known as VRAEN. Civilians in the area are caught in confrontations between the government initiatives and drug traffickers.

Luis Trinidad is an activist with an organization in the area trying to raise awareness about human rights violations in the region. According to him, “when the military engages in confrontations with the remnants of Shining Path, the Quispe Palomino and others, those who are affected by murders, bullet wounds, the burning of houses are the farmers of the Mantaro Union. For example, the same happens in Azángaro, as well as in other towns of VRAEN."

The drug eradication plan currently continues under President Ollanta Humala and includes limiting freedom of movement, arrests without warrants, large police operations sweeping through towns, and frequent bombings of civilian structures. Such plans have had little effect on eliminating cocaine production as Peru maintains a top position in the drug production.