Morales signs bill into law to nearly double legal coca area

Record ID: 401404

  • Title: Morales signs bill into law to nearly double legal coca area
  • Date: 8th March 2017
  • Summary: ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF MILITARY OFFICIALS WEARING GARLAND NECKLACES MADE OF COCA LEAVES VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT EVO MORALES SIGNING BILL THAT WOULD DOUBLE LEGAL AMOUNT OF COCA PLANTATIONS COCA GROWER WITH INDIGENOUS FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT EVO MORALES SAYING: "The coca leaf has risen above the North American imperialists, the coca ha
  • Embargoed: 22nd March 2017 18:56
  • Keywords: Bolivia coca growers President Evo Morales law bills
  • Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
  • City: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA003673OLZ7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Bolivian leftist President Evo Morales on Wednesday (March 8) signed a bill into law to nearly double the amount of land that can legally be planted with coca, bringing the South American nation's expected production to 30,000 tonnes of leaves.
    The bill, which was approved by the Andean nation's lower Senate house last month, will allow farmers to plant up to 22,000 hectares (55,000 acres) with coca, the main ingredient in cocaine, compared to 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) under a previous law enacted in 1988.
    People in the Andes have for centuries chewed coca leaves to ward off the effects of high altitude. Coca is also brewed into tea and considered sacred by many indigenous people, including Morales. It is also the base for cocaine.
    Morales, a former coca grower, said the passing of the bill was a victory over past government policies and U.S. interests.
    The indigenous president in the past ejected DEA agents from operating in the world's third-largest cocaine-producing country, accusing them of trying to tap his telephone conversations instead of going after cocaine traffickers.
    "The coca leaf has risen above the North American imperialists, the coca has beaten the United States in a very long battle," Morales said.
    Morales conceded drug trafficking influences the price of coca.
    "They (US) told us that if there would be synthetic cocaine, then our coca (leaves) would be worthless. Lots of blackmailing and threats. We know that drug trafficking influences the price of coca, yes, we know that. We have never denied that. For that reason we have decided to rationalize the coca production. If there is no cocaine then why are we going to be talking about 'traditional zones,' all of Bolivia would be a 'traditional zone.' It is not about cocaine because we are very responsible," Morales added.
    Bolivia needs some 25,000 tonnes of coca for traditional and religious rituals and some 6,000 tonnes could be industrialized and legally exported to countries including Ecuador and Argentina, Bolivian authorities have said.
    Opposition lawmakers have said it was not necessary to increase the area planted for coca, noting that studies showed 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) was sufficient to meet the demand for legal and cultural usage.
    Coca farmers who would like to abolish limits on coca planting altogether threw rocks in protests in La Paz last month, causing the police to release tear gas.
    Violent protests were also unleashed in the subtropical region of Yungas, a traditional coca-growing area of Bolivia where Morales has faced several political and trade union challenges, unlike the strong support provided by the workers' union in central Chapare, which he has led for more than a decade.
    Franklin Gutierrez, President of the Adepcoca (Coca Growers Association) From Los Yungas, said they would continue fighting.
    "We may have gone to a battle but we have not lost the war. We as coca growers of the Yungas are more united and we are going to make known to the international community what is being done in Bolivia, which is an injustice, because our coca from Los Yungas reaches national consumption. While coca from the other sectors (from Chapare) don't. It is not consumed and so as a person from Yungas at this time we stand to continue fighting for our coca leaf from the traditional zone," Gutierrez said.
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