Responsabilidad Compartida

Colombian Vice President brings drug prevention message to Belfast school

Viernes 14 de Noviembre de 2008 00:00

Colombian Vice President brings drug prevention message to Belfast school

Colombia’s Vice President, Francisco Santos, will visit Belfast this November 17 and 18 in order to participate in the annual ACPO Drugs Conference, in which the Vice President will present his country’s Shared Responsibility initiative. Said initiative works to generate awareness about the environmental consequences of coca cultivation and cocaine production, encouraged by cocaine consumption, on Colombia’s richly biodiverse ecosystems.

Vice President Santos will deliver this same message to a group of 25 local students aged 15 to 17 on Tuesday, November 18th at 9:30 am. During his presentation, the Vice President will teach students about the importance of conservation in Colombia, which is the world’s most biodiverse planet per square kilometer, and about how cocaine consumption poses a serious threat to Colombia’s environment.  For example, for every 2 grams of cocaine consumed, 8 square meters of Colombian jungle are cut down, and, in the last 20 years, 2.2 million hectares of tropical forest, equivalent to the territory of Slovenia, have been slashed and burnt to grow coca.

After the Vice President’s presentation, students will have the chance to ask him any questions they may have on Shared Responsibility’s message and on cocaine’s impact on Colombia.

A brief press conference, will follow after all student questions are answered. Members of the media interested in assisting the presentation and ensuing press conference must first register with Alexandra Coleman of ACPO Drugs Conference (020 7084 8949 or Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla ).

Interview requests for the Vice President must also be channeled via Ms. Coleman and Mr. Rodrigo Paris of the Colombian Embassy (07735574180 or Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla ).