Evo invites to chew coca leaves to INCB

COCA LEAF • President Evo Morales urged INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) to visit Bolivia to see the reality of the crops of coca leaf before to urge the government to promote programs that discourage crop.

By EUGEN ROXAS

“Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

156. The Board, as part of its ongoing review of compliance by States parties with their treaty-based obligations, has closely followed recent developments in the Plurinational State of Bolivia with regard to its policies on coca bush cultivation and coca leaf production. The Board notes with concern that, despite the social control measures currently being pursued by the Government with the aim of reducing coca bush cultivation and coca leaf production in the country, both the reported total area under coca bush cultivation and the expected coca leaf production have increased over the past few years.

157.In 2008, the total area under coca bush cultivation in the Plurinational State of Bolivia increased for the third consecutive year, to 30,500 hectares (ha), 6 per cent more than in 2007. Compared with 2000, the total area under illicit coca bush cultivation doubled. The potential manufacture of cocaine in the country also increased in 2008, by 9 per cent to 113 tons, and accounted for 13 per cent of the potential global production of cocaine.30 Furthermore, the total area of coca bush eradicated in the country in 2008 amounted to 5,483 ha, the second smallest figure recorded since 1995. The Board is concerned that those developments have had a negative impact on the Government’s strategy to reduce the availability of coca leaves and have increased the risk of coca leaves being diverted for use in the illicit manufacture of cocaine. More...”

Evo Morales. In Caranavi. Photo © The Achacachi Post™ . All rights reserved.

CARANAVI, Bolivia. — President Evo Morales Ayma encouraged the leaders of the INCB to visit Bolivia to see the reality of coca before launching appeals on their use. The INCB is the technical arm of the United Nations Organization on drug control and is the entity that holds a coca leaf on the list classified as drugs.

The Presidente Evo Morales said:

"Prior to urge the Government of Bolivia to carry out programs that discourage acullico (chewing) of coca, the INCB executives must come to Bolivia to see the benefits of the bush ant become more healthy and intelligent."

He added that the chewing ia a cultural tradition of Bolivia and he waits them to verify the coca leaf is not cocaine.

"Coca leaf is consumed by the Bolivian people as ancestral and cultural traditions and has medicinal use."

However, he acknowledged that the coca leaf is diverted to the manufacture of cocaine. Also stated that the Government is promoting a program of rationalization of the crops developed with the unions of coca leaf producers.

But he also said there would be no coca crops if there were not demand for cocaine in the United States and European countries. Bolivia has complained repeatedly to the consumer countries to combat the cocaine consumption.