Pubdate: Tue, 27 Dec 2005
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Nancy Stuart
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

SMALL-SCALE COCA FARMERS SERVE TRADITIONAL MARKETS

Re: "Leftist claims election victory in Bolivia," Dec. 20.

The article stated that Evo Morales' "apparent victory did not mellow 
his crusade against U.S. coca-eradication efforts." This statement 
appears to paint Morales as a cocaine drug lord or at least a sympathizer.

I met with Morales during my visit to Bolivia last summer. There is a 
vast difference between the small-scale coca farmers whom Morales 
represents and the large-scale purveyors of coca for cocaine who are 
the legitimate targets for U.S. coca-eradication efforts in 
neighbouring countries.

The raw coca leaf is not the same as the refined cocaine product and 
the Bolivian people use the leaf in its raw form for various 
nutritional, medicinal and cultural purposes. They are allowed to 
cultivate small family coca plots to sell the leaves in the local 
market for traditional uses that have longstanding cultural value to 
the Bolivians and people in other Andean countries.

Morales is crusading against the blanket eradication of all coca 
farming because he supports the cultural use of the leaf in the 
native lifestyle but he does not support the large-scale farmers who 
grow coca for cocaine production and and he has stated he will not 
legalize cocaine.

A skeptic might assume that the only way to stop cocaine is to 
eradicate all coca farming but this is like saying that the only way 
to stop alcoholism is to prohibit alcohol. The American 
one-size-fits-all solution discriminates against the indigous people 
of Bolivia who elected Morales.

Nancy Stuart,

Victoria.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman