Reports from the ground: Human health effects

Major U.S. and international media have reported frequently over the past year and a half on widespread impacts of spraying on human health. For example, in the southern Colombian province of Putumayo, a representative of the indigenous Cofán people was quoted by the BBC as saying that the people of his community were suffering from headaches, fever, and rashes associated with the spraying. Also in Putumayo, the New York Times reported that the Health Department received many complaints of dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting, itchy skin, red eyes, and headaches in the aftermath of aerial spraying. Skin reactions were reported to be particularly prevalent among children.16 In the department of Nariño, a physician in the town of Aponte reported that aerial spraying on indigenous people’s lands had caused “an epidemic” of “rash, fever, diarrhea and eye infections.”