In Bolivia Coca Grower to Fight Drugs
Reuters
Los Angeles Times
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Shinahota, (Bolivia):
President Evo Morales on Saturday appointed a coca leaf grower to lead the country's fight against drugs. Morales announced the appointment of Felipe Caceres, a co-founder of his Movement Toward Socialism party, during a trip to the heart of Bolivia's coca-growing region.
"A coca farmer is going to be in charge of the fight against drugs," Morales said, wearing a hat of woven coca leaves. He drew loud applause from hundreds of people, many of them coca farmers, gathered in this lush jungle town.
Morales, who as a candidate pledged to roll back U.S. efforts to curb coca growing in his country, the world's third-biggest cocaine producer, took office a week ago. The previous head of Bolivia's anti-drug efforts worked closely with Washington, which spends about $150 million a year on coca-eradication programs in the South American country.
Morales first rose to political prominence as the leader of the country's coca farmers, and led sometimes violent protests against U.S.-backed eradication efforts. He said the struggle to preserve the legal growing of the plant was deeply tied to his political party, known popularly by its initials, MAS. "MAS was born from the coca leaf," he said. "We will never be separated."
Jan 29, 2006
Reuters
Los Angeles Times
_____________
Shinahota, (Bolivia):
President Evo Morales on Saturday appointed a coca leaf grower to lead the country's fight against drugs. Morales announced the appointment of Felipe Caceres, a co-founder of his Movement Toward Socialism party, during a trip to the heart of Bolivia's coca-growing region.
"A coca farmer is going to be in charge of the fight against drugs," Morales said, wearing a hat of woven coca leaves. He drew loud applause from hundreds of people, many of them coca farmers, gathered in this lush jungle town.
Morales, who as a candidate pledged to roll back U.S. efforts to curb coca growing in his country, the world's third-biggest cocaine producer, took office a week ago. The previous head of Bolivia's anti-drug efforts worked closely with Washington, which spends about $150 million a year on coca-eradication programs in the South American country.
Morales first rose to political prominence as the leader of the country's coca farmers, and led sometimes violent protests against U.S.-backed eradication efforts. He said the struggle to preserve the legal growing of the plant was deeply tied to his political party, known popularly by its initials, MAS. "MAS was born from the coca leaf," he said. "We will never be separated."
Jan 29, 2006
