Newsletter April 2008

After the United Nations criticized the traditional use of coca leaves, Bolivia and Peru have stepped up efforts to defend the age old Andean practice. The latest UN Drugs Agency Report focused on coca cultivation as a source for cocaine production and categorized coca along with cocaine and opium as controlled substances. Ever since Pre-Incan times, coca has been a vital component of Andean life and an important part of religious rituals. Under Spanish rule, widespread use of coca was encouraged in order to exploit slave labor. Without coca to combat hunger, thirst and to overcome fatigue, the indigenous population would not have survived the hard labor in mines and plantations.

The annual report released by the International Narcotics Control Board reminded the governments of Peru and Bolivia that the possession of coca leaves is limited to scientific and medical purposes. After Colombia, Peru and Bolivia produce the greatest amounts of coca. The Peruvian government has defended the tradition of growing the coca plant and has proposed a balance between allowing cultivation for traditional uses while preventing its use for cocaine production.

Jose Belaunde, Peru’s foreign relations minister, has remarked that “One of the principles of humanitarian law is the respect of traditional customs, recognized by the national constitution”. For the indigenous Andean population, the coca plant has remained a sacred part of their culture for centuries.

Source:BBC News

PAST NEWSLETTERS:

• Newsletter April 2008
• Newsletter February 2008
• Newsletter January 2008