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Warren Buffett's Son Tries to Help Colombia Kick Cocaine Curse

Associated Press

   TIBU, COLOMBIA - With Colombian military snipers in position, Howard
   Buffett descends from a helicopter and trudges through the wet grass in
   steel-toed boots chewed through by his dog's teeth.

   Waiting under a tin-roofed shack is a small group of coca farmers.
   They've never heard of multibillionaire investor Warren Buffett, but
   after decades of neglect by their own government they're grateful for
   the outstretched hand of his eldest son, whom they refer to simply as
   "the gringo."

   "There's a saying here: The less you know, the better," said Ruben
   Morantes, his leathery skin and calloused hands a testament to a
   lifetime of tillage in one of Colombia's most dangerous territories,
   where outsiders are traditionally mistrusted.

   For nearly two decades Buffett has crisscrossed the world,giving away
   part of his father's fortune to promote food security, conflict
   mitigation and public safety. But his latest gamble is one of the most
   daunting yet: helping Colombia kick its cocaine curse.

   He is focusing on Tibu, heart of the remote, notoriously lawless
   Catatumbo region bordering Venezuela where Buffett accompanied
   President Ivan Duque.

   Tibu has the second-largestcocacrop in all of Colombia -- 28,200 acres
   (11,400 hectares), according to the United Nations. Drug production
   andviolence haveskyrocketed in the area since armed groups filled the
   void left by retreating rebels who signed a peace deal with the
   government in 2016.

   Foundation's plans

   The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has committed to spending $200 million
   over the next few years to transform the impoverished municipality into
   a model of comprehensive state building. Plans include strengthening
   security forces and helping farmerstosecure land titles and substitute
   coca -- the raw material for cocaine -- with licit crops like cacao.

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