A program designed to help Colombian farmers abandon coca cultivation for legitimate crops is faltering, leaving participants disillusioned and struggling to find sustainable livelihoods. The National Comprehensive Programme for the Substitution of Illicit Crops (PNIS), established as part of a 2016 peace agreement, promised financial aid and technical assistance to families who voluntarily replaced their coca plants.
Elena Hernández, who moved to the Guaviare region in the 1990s for the higher earnings from coca, initially saw promise in the PNIS program. "The way it was presented to us, it seemed very promising for the development of our territory," she said. Farmers like Hernández were promised approximately $11,000 USD spread over two years, along with support from agronomists to cultivate alternative crops and manage their soil.
The initiative, one of the most ambitious efforts of its kind, appeared to be working in its early stages. In some areas, coca fields were indeed replaced by lemon trees, banana crops, and small livestock farms, with many farmers, including Hernández, abstaining from coca cultivation. However, these successes were often short-lived.
"The government wasn't very committed to us farmers. We were treated badly," Hernández explained, citing frequent delays in payments and a lack of materialized technical support. Weak state presence in rural areas and poor inter-agency coordination further hampered the program's effectiveness, preventing support from consistently reaching the intended communities.
Political shifts also impacted the program's momentum. The administration that followed the program's inception in 2017, led by President Iván Duque, shifted focus back towards eradication and security strategies. By the time President Gustavo Petro took office in 2022, the PNIS program was significantly behind schedule and struggling to connect with communities.
Despite the widespread challenges, some participants have reported positive outcomes. Doralba Bejarano, from Puerto Rico in southern Meta, experienced an improvement in her situation as stalled support eventually began to arrive. "Before the program we were terrified. We had to hide the coca paste because the police, the military, would put us in jail," she said. Now, she reports having peace of mind and receiving government assistance to promote and sell her non-coca crops and other foodstuffs. For many, however, the promise of a stable transition away from coca cultivation remains largely unfulfilled, underscoring the complex realities of rural development and illicit crop substitution in Colombia.