The problems faced by the US in the Middle East to get their fuel has led to a brutal crackdown in the south of Latin America, especially in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, with devastating effects in nature, the local communities and the economy.

In an interview with Real World Radio, Garces talked about this. “There is a link between the Plan Colombia the US international policy, Alvaro Uribe’s government and agrofuels”. The alliance with the local oligarchies is necessary to make this work.

Also, massacres to populations by the paramilitary take place in regions rich in sugar cane and palm oil plantations “enabling for the narco military to occupy lands left by the people displaced” to plant more agrofuels.

Two decades ago, one of the paramilitary groups was celebrating the purchase of its 180th hectare, and so far there have been many deaths, dirty war and narcodollars.

The state institutions in charge of watching the enforcement of the environmental rules, do not act in their region, but they leave an empty space that is occupied by the forces supporting the agrofuels business, which in the case of Colombia are brutally concentrated in a small group of businessmen.

“This becomes a ’life or death’ issue and the bureaucracies take no stand”, Garces says. He claims the Colombian state is accomplice of the violations of the communities rights that are forced to leave their lands to let the refinery business go on.

He said there is scientific evidence that shows for instance, the effects that the intensive use of glyphosate herbicide has on stem cells.

The consequence is the increase of cases of malformations, tumors, allergies and other unidentified damages. “The problems are unheard of, we need a socio-environmental authority with a systematic approach, but all that with real guarantees from the state institutions”.

He believes the presence of an international mission in their territories has a huge political and social weight, and it is the only way to favor policies to change these reality as “Colombia without foreign intervention does not change anything, and we might all get killed here”.