War on Drugs

I did mention that I would write more about Chapare and Villa Tunari later. So here goes.

As I`ve mentioned before (I think), Bolivia is the 3rd largest producer of coca leaves. Coca leaves are the main ingredient for cocaine, as well, its still thought to be the secret key ingredient for coca-cola. In the past few decades, as the demand for cocaine grew, the region of Chapare also grew to be the main producer of coca in Bolivia. As a result, it has now become the battleground for the American "War on Drugs".

As a political response to their domestic drug use problem, the American government adopted the much controversial plan to attack the SUPPLY side of the problem and not the DEMAND. Meaning, that they tried to eradicate all coca trees in coca producing countries like Columbia, Peru, and of course, Bolivia. (sorry i sound like a textbook)

What they didn`t take into consideration (or if they did, they didn`t give it much thought) is that coca leaves are a culture here in Bolivia. People have been cultivating coca leaves at the foot of the Andes for thousands of years. It has been used for religious, medical, and cultural purposes.

Religiously, its been used for ceremonies and/or offerings. A few weeks ago, my host family had a Mass at their house, and all the relatives were over, surrounding the Virgin Mary, and lighting candles around it. They were all chewing coca leaves. They explained to me that they chew coca on special occasions.

Medically, its effective in treating altitude sickness, and used as a stimulant to combat tiredness for the hard labour endeared by mine workers or farmers, and if you are malnourished, it can help fend off hunger.

Culturally, coca leaves are thought to have magical powers and are sometimes made into herbal infusions.

So as you can see, Bolivians aren`t using coca leaves to make cocaine to be high. (Well, I`m sure some are, but most are not.) Actually, to make cocaine, the coca leaves get shipped to Colombia, and its made into cocaine there, and from there is smuggled into the US. I`ve been asked if you can get high off chewing coca leaves... to be honest, i don`t know. I will find out though.

In the 1970s, coca had become a good source of income for peasant farmers, and when the tin market collapsed in the 1980s(Tin was a major source of wealth for Bolivia until then), forcing 21,000 people out of jobs in Bolivia, many more people turned to coca for an income. Apparently, most of the revenue produced by these illegal coca exports was reinvested into legitmate businesses in the bigger cities of Bolivia. Of course, this did have its downside, and with the enormous amount of wealth came corruption among the elites in Bolivia.

Meanwhile, in the United States of America, its citizens are using cocaine to get high. And as a result, health issues arise, the crime rates increase (well, this is debatable), government has to spend lots of money to solve the problem, yada yada yada. So in the 1970s, President Nixon decides to wage a "War on Drugs". Bush has succeeded this war, continuing to attack the demand side of the problem.

What does this mean for the coca growers of Bolivia? Well, sometimes it means bloodshed, often it means no income, thus no food on the table. The way the American government has gone about waging their war is by funding the militaries of the South American countries, and of course, pressuring their government. Dependent on American aid, the governments can`t refuse (and in many cases, the governments are corrupt anyways).

In Bolivia, its meant that many coca growers have lost their source of income. They can try to cultivate other products, but nothing can replace coca leaves because they coca leaves can be harvested 3 times a year, and other fruits and vegetables are very cheap, and don`t provide enough income.

When I was in the Chapare, we heard 2 helicopters, and we all looked at each other because it was the oddest sound to be hearing in the rainforest. Our guide explained that it was the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration of the US), flying over to see if there were any large coca plantations to eradicate. So I`m not joking when I say its at the forefront of the War on Drugs. I wished my Spanish was good enough to understand how he felt about it. Very unfortunate i didn`t understand.

I`m not convinced that the best way for the American government to tackle their drug problem is by killing every coca plant in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. There must be another way for them to deal with their problem without trying to wipe out an entire culture of coca leaves. So I am definatly against their War on Drugs.

At the same time however, I can`t help wonder and worry, that if they implement some other policy to deal with the demand side, and it is successful, what would happen to the coca growers? If the demand for coca falls in North America (where the demand is, and hence, where the farmers get their money), then what? Is the domestic demand for coca leaves enough to support them? I doubt it. So what would happen? - The coca growers would starve again.

Before that happens, somebody, preferably the government of Bolivia, with assistance from other countries and international bodies, must come up with alternative means for an income for these farmers.