Colombia reopens path to aerial herbicide spraying for coca eradication

Colombia has reopened the legal path for aerial herbicide spraying to eradicate illicit coca crops, after the government of President Abelardo de la Espriella repealed a 2015 resolution that had suspended the use of glyphosate in aerial eradication operations.

The decision represents a significant shift in Colombia’s drug-control policy and could eventually allow the country to resume aerial eradication, subject to environmental, health and operational requirements established by the Constitutional Court.

The repeal, contained in Resolution 0006 of August 18, 2026, does not itself authorize the immediate resumption of aerial spraying. The government must first meet a series of conditions, including environmental and health requirements and, where applicable, prior consultation with ethnic communities.

De la Espriella, who took office in August, has adopted a tougher approach toward drug-trafficking organizations and has pledged to strengthen security cooperation with the United States.

The Colombian government has also moved forward with a separate pilot program for aerial spraying using ammonium glufosinate, rather than glyphosate. Approved by the National Narcotics Council, the pilot is designed as a controlled, temporary and evaluable operation covering a maximum of 1,000 hectares over seven days. Protected ecosystems, populated areas, schools and territories of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities without prior consultation are excluded.

Glufosinate enters the equation

The introduction of glufosinate adds a new herbicide to Colombia’s aerial eradication strategy.

The World Health Organization classifies ammonium glufosinate as moderately hazardous. The substance is being evaluated as an alternative tool for coca eradication as the government seeks to expand its options for controlling illegal crops.

The pilot program is subject to environmental authorization and monitoring. Colombia’s National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) and National Institute of Health are expected to contribute assessments that will inform the government’s decision on whether to move toward a broader program.

The use of drones has also emerged in the government’s strategy for more targeted applications. Earlier proposals for drone-based spraying envisioned operations at low altitude and controlled application intended to limit exposure outside coca-growing areas.

A return to aerial eradication

Colombia suspended aerial glyphosate spraying in 2015 amid concerns over potential human-health and environmental effects. The measure followed years of controversy surrounding the country’s U.S.-supported aerial eradication program.

The United States has historically supported aerial eradication of coca in Colombia, using glyphosate-based formulations against illicit crops.

The issue has returned to the center of Colombia’s counternarcotics strategy as coca cultivation has expanded and the government seeks stronger measures against drug-trafficking organizations.

De la Espriella’s administration has moved away from former President Gustavo Petro’s ″total peace″ strategy, which sought to negotiate with armed groups, and has instead emphasized military and police action against criminal organizations. The government has also pledged to deepen cooperation with the United States in combating drug trafficking and transnational crime.

The renewed debate over aerial spraying therefore involves not only the choice between glyphosate and alternative herbicides, but also the environmental, health and legal conditions governing how such products can be applied.

For Colombia’s agricultural and crop-protection sectors, the development places renewed attention on aerial application technology, herbicide selection and the regulatory requirements governing the use of crop-protection products in sensitive ecosystems and areas surrounding agricultural communities.