Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

Activism has long been a dangerous vocation in Colombia,

but it's particularly deadly recently.

Last month alone, 19 social leaders were killed or went missing.

Our correspondent examines why the violence is on the rise.

And the American state of Oregon is trying a daring experiment,

decriminalizing the personal use of illicit drugs.

We take a look at the risks of the policy and the changes that must come with it to guarantee its many benefits.

But first...

It's a scene that's becoming all too familiar in Hong Kong.

This week, more pro-democracy activists are on trial.

Before appearing in court, one of the accused, Li Chug-Yun,

said Hong Kong's rule of law is deteriorating.

What we witness is that law becomes legal, law becomes an instrument of political suppression.

Eight other high-profile figures have been charged with organizing and participating in an unauthorized assembly.

The charges stemmed not from Hong Kong's draconian new national security law,

but from the protests prior to its introduction.

In June 2019, millions of Hong Kongers began taking to the streets.

They were opposing an extradition bill that they saw as a grave threat to the territory's delicate independence from the mainland government.

Over months, the demonstrations escalated.

...