GOVERNMENT SAYS `NO' TO TESTS OF COCA PLANT KILLER

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA The Colombian government says it has no intention of
testing or even further studying a fungus promoted by the United Nations
and the United States for killing coca plants.

Environment Minister Juan Mayr said the U.S. State Department "told lies"
when it reported last week that Colombia had agreed to field-test the
fungus before deciding whether to it use against plants from which cocaine
is derived.

"We will not accept the introduction of any foreign element, which is what
they have offered us under the name Fusarium oxysporum," Mayr said.

In an interview Friday with the Associated Press, Mayr said scientists from
his government, the National University and several private institutes
examined the plan presented several months ago under UN auspices and
rejected it categorically.

They warned of possible mutations and adverse affects on people and the
environment.