Argelia is a municipality in the southern part of the Cauca department. This region was traditionally inhabited by indigenous people form the Guapios, Telembias, and Barbacoas tribes but in recent years it has become known as a strategic place for multiple aspects of the drug industry. A peace treaty between the government and guerillas helped the situation for a time, however recent events have caused the industry to grow once again and violence to again become more of an issue. Growing coffee and other agricultural products is difficult in southern Colombia because transportation, education, and agricultural technology are scarce.