Colombia and Ecuador are struggling to ease diplomatic tension following Colombia’s resumption last month of aerial fumigation along the 364-mile (586-km) border with Ecuador to eradicate plantations of coca, the raw material of cocaine. As aircraft on Dec. 12 began spraying tens of thousands of gallons of herbicide on the Colombian side of the border, Ecuador activated its air defense system, recalled its ambassador to Colombia and asked both the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations to intervene. Ecuador argues that drift from the fumigant—a concentrated form of Monsanto’s Roundup, which contains the herbicide glyphosate—harms food crops, human health and the environment on its side of the border. After nearly a month of escalating tension over the spraying... [Log in to read more]