Responsabilidad Compartida

“Cocaine: Alex James in Colombia” documentary produced by the BBC on how cocaine affects colombia

Viernes 25 de Enero de 2008 00:00

Alex James

In August of 2007, the Vice-President of Colombia Francisco Santos invited Alex James, former bass player of famed British rock band ‘Blur,’ to Colombia to witness the immense social and environmental costs that Colombia confronts as a result of the production and trafficking of cocaine.

After having been immersed in the world of drugs and alcohol during ‘Blur’s’ peak, James changed his habits and became an important activist for environmental issues and organic farming. Vice-President Santos’ invitation struck a chord with James’ lifestyle change, and, this past October, he traveled to Colombia accompanied by a BBC production team.

James’ visit and the documentary that will be presented to the world this Monday January 28 at 8:30 p.m. (London time) on BBC One are part of the activities to be developed this year by Shared Responsibility, an initiative led by Vice-President Santos, which seeks to create awareness about cocaine’s socially and environmentally destructive consequences.

A dedicated organic farmer who produces cheese on his farm in England, Alex James also writes for “The Independent” and “The Observer.” What’s more, he is a figure that the youth of Europe and the United States know and admire, which makes him an ideal spokesperson for Shared Responsibility.

Mr. James’ agenda in Colombia, mostly prepared by Shared Responsibility, included an over flight of the Macarena National Park, an ecological jewel ravaged by illicit crops, a game of soccer with landmine victims, operations with the Colombian Anti-Narcotics Police and interviews with President Alvaro Uribe and Vice-President Francisco Santos. During the press conference that closed James’ visit to Colombia, he affirmed: “I think that a lesser country than Colombia would be destroyed (by illicit drugs).”

The documentary “Cocaine: Alex James in Colombia” has been strongly promoted by the BBC. In its current edition, “Hello Magazine,” read by 2 million people in the UK each week, published an interview with James on his experience in Colombia. (www.hellomagazine.com/magazine/) During the first week of January, a two-page spread in the “Sunday Times” promoted the documentary. Additionally, last Sunday’s edition of the BBC TV programme “Have your say, “simultaneously transmitted via TV, radio and internet, was dedicated to the documentary and counted with the live participation of James and Vice-President Santos.