RELATED REPORTING
A Bitter Leaf, A special report on Bolivia's President Evo Morales. Mother Jones, August 2008.
A Bitter Leaf: related photographs. Mother Jones, August 2008.
Coca Stompers of Bolivia [Video]. Mother Jones, August 2008.
EVO MORALES' COCA POLICY
Coca policy under the Evo Morales administration
A series of articles examining Evo Morales' second year as president of Bolivia
Bolivian coca policy during Evo Morales' first year in office
Coca cultivation in Los Yungas and the struggles faced by coca farmers
Evo Morales' statement that all U.S. military personnel should leave Bolivia
Coca industrialization and the changes in coca policy after Evo Morales was elected president
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Coca Si, Cocaina No: Evo Morales' Coca Policy in Los Yungas, Bolivia
For the past two years, Bolivian President Evo Morales has shifted drug policy in Bolivia toward a program he calls "Coca Si, Cocaina No." Though the "zero cocaine" program continues to work against illegal cocaine production and trafficking, it also allows an increase in the cultivation of coca for legal purposes.
Morales, a former coca grower himself, owes much of his political support to "cocaleros" — as coca farmers are known in Bolivia. His controversial "Coca Yes, Cocaine No" program focuses on the industrialization of coca for products like tea, medicine and toothpaste, much of it with financial help from Morales' regional ally, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. According to Bolivia's Coca Industrialization Directorate, there are an estimated 50,000 coca growers in Los Yungas, who already support the effort to market coca legally.
On the other hand, Morales remains opposed to the unregulated and illegal growth of coca for cocaine production. He is encouraging growers to meet voluntary limits while continuing to cooperate with the United States government in stepping up efforts to stop cocaine traffickers. But U.S. law enforcement authorities remain skeptical of Morales' "Coca Yes, Cocaine No" program, arguing that any increase in coca cultivation will lead to an increase in cocaine production.
Ruxandra Guidi
Ruxandra Guidi currently works as a radio + print freelance news correspondent for South + Central America. In the last year, she’s been reporting from Bolivia, Peru, Panama, Venezuela and Mexico....
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Roberto Guerra
A native of San Antonio, TX, Roberto [Bear] Guerra holds a degree from the University of Notre Dame in Cultural Anthropology. After working for Amnesty International USA, and then teaching English in South Korea, he worked with award-winning editorial photographer, Dan Winters, for three years, while continuing to travel and photograph projects in Peru, Mexico, and throughout the U.S...
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THE U.S. RESPONSE
State Department's response to Bolivia's plans to commercialize coca
Announcement that Bolivia will not be placed under U.S. drug sanctions for 2007-2008
U.S.-sponsored drug efforts in Bolivia before Evo Morales
CULTIVATION HISTORY
Coca farming in Bolivia and recent attempts to create new markets by commercializing the leaf
Coca cultivation as the only viable option for some in Los Yungas