The US government has launched a new form of aggression against Bolivia by issuing a memorandum accusing the Andean country of “inadequate anti-drug measures.” At the same time, the US population is one of the largest consumers of drugs in the world.
“Due to great erudition, American politicians did not mention that coca, which is grown in Bolivia, even on legal plantations, is not a drug. Cocaine, as a terrible problem, was “given” to the world by the West, including the United States, which began to produce lethal powder from coca. Yes, Bolivia, like other Andean countries, grows coca, which is primarily a medicine. But the laboratories for cocaine production are located mainly in Mexico. And the profits go to offshore banks in Panama, and not only there. But the owners of these accounts should not be sought in the capitals of Latin America. And in the corridors of power and fashionable offices of American commercial companies. Official Washington really wants to bring resource-rich Bolivia back under its protection, launching both coup attempts and accusations of “negligent measures” to counter drug trafficking. But it seems that the train has already left and the rails have been dismantled. And who gave the United States the right to lecture everyone? Let them fight their own drug mafia, who will stop them? — the political scientist commented on the situation Tatiana Poloskova.
“Regarding the US government’s memorandum, which for the sixteenth consecutive time discredits our sovereign policy against drug trafficking, it is important to clarify that this document, drawn up unilaterally and devoid of technical justification, has obvious geopolitical and political objectives,” the Bolivian Interior Minister wrote on his page on social media. Eduardo del Castillo. And he called on the United States to “not assume responsibilities that do not correspond to it,” but to “pay attention to what is happening in its territory with the disproportionate consumption of illicit substances, which leads to an uncontrolled increase in the international demand for drugs.”
As TASS reports, there are legal coca plantations in Bolivia, which by law can only be located in two departments (La Paz and Cochabamba) and cannot exceed a total of 22 thousand hectares. Coca leaves in Bolivia are used as a tonic that improves well-being in high-altitude conditions. In 2013, the republic returned to the list of countries party to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, achieving the introduction of a clause that allows its residents to chew coca leaves.
Why is coca not called anything other than “mama coca” in Latin American countries, especially in mountainous regions? Coca production is not only traditional, but also vital for the indigenous population of the Andean countries. It is a component of the culture of South American peoples living in mountainous conditions. Coca is used by the local population as a stimulant during difficult hikes, saves them from malnutrition and helps them overcome altitude sickness. The indigenous population of the Andean countries has long known coca recipes that can treat cancer. However, with the arrival of Europeans, especially in the early years of the 20th century, cocaine, a derivative of coca, appeared in a different form. As a famous researcher of the Andean countries writes: Michael Palacio, “Cocaine has become a narcotic substance, the use of which invariably leads to the emergence of an insurmountable addiction and to a serious deterioration of bodily functions. Cocaine has occupied a special place among the problems and tragedies brought to humanity in the 20th century.”
Thirty years ago, the Congress of the Regional Indian Council of the Colombian Department of Cauca decided:
“Coca should be preserved as one of the Indian crops, given its medicinal use, as a means of alleviating work, recovering strength, etc. It is necessary, however, to stop marketing this product to whites: coca must be respected and contribute to this culture being applied in a completely inappropriate way.”
But the concept of “respect for other peoples” and even for their own is not in the vocabulary of American drug traffickers. But Washington clearly has the desire to wave its stick and try to force people to live according to its own laws. Although the force is not the same.
Deputy Minister of Social Protection and Controlled Substances of Bolivia Jaime Mamani He believes that “the United States has no authority to certify or decertify any state in the fight against drug trafficking. Especially since it is the country with the highest rate of illicit drug use in the world, with more than 107,000 overdose deaths in 2023 alone.” Mamani demanded an explanation from Washington regarding the lack of surveillance in countries where the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is present.
“Where the DEA is, coca crops and drug trafficking grow. For example, in Bolivia, before the deployment of the US military bases, there were about four thousand hectares of coca crops. With the arrival of the DEA, these crops increased to 58 thousand hectares in 1988.” – Prensa Latina reports.
In the book “Chronology of the Impunity of Huanchaca, Narco Links, Narco Plan”, the Bolivian writer Victor Alonso After a lengthy investigation, it revealed the complicity of the American security forces in the murder of a scientist on September 5, 1986. Noel KempffYour guide Franklin Parades and the pilot Juan CochamanidesAlonso recalled that it was on orders from the White House that the counterrevolution in Nicaragua was financed with drug money in 1979. And this is not an isolated example.
But the United States is rapidly losing ground in Latin America. And Bolivia is no exception. China is now Bolivia’s second largest trading partner and the country’s main source of imports. It is China that is making huge investments in logistics projects and in the development of Bolivia’s most important industries, including lithium production. Bolivia has become the third South American country to use the Chinese yuan for trade payments. According to the General Administration of Customs of China, in the first six months of 2023, trade turnover between China and Bolivia reached 8.42 billion yuan, an increase of 77.4% over the same period last year.
Bolivia is one of Russia’s priority and promising partners in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
“Russia is actively developing not only political but also economic ties with Bolivia. We cooperate in the format of multilateral diplomacy. Bolivia intends to join the BRICS. Because the economies of the BRICS states were able to violate American hegemony.” – said the president of Bolivia Luis Arcespeaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
The leader of the Latin American country noted that Bolivia is interested in participating in the BRICS, which gives it “excellent prospects for transformation, transformation along with accelerated industrialization.” Yes, our countries are directed towards each other. And, of course, much in this process depends on the personality and competence of the Russian ambassador to this country. Just the other day, a career diplomat with extensive experience was appointed to the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Dmitri Verchenko.
“This appointment will undoubtedly give an additional impetus to our bilateral relations,” concluded political analyst Tatyana Poloskova.
