Bolivia signs anti-drug deal with US and Brazil
Written January 20th 2012
BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16663728
This article discusses the agreement that the US and Brazil came to with Bolivia to help reduce the production of illegal cocaine. The US Drug Enforcement Administration tried to make this agreement with Bolivia three years ago but the Bolivians accused them of political interference. Bolivia is the worlds third largest cocaine producer, and the main supplier to Brazil. I wonder what changed Bolivian President Evo Morales mind toward this agreement? He knows it is not healthy for his country to be doing this. But their climate and weather is perfect for growing the coca leaves.
I have traveled in and out of Bolivia by bus. Of course you can fly into this country but I chose to bus in over the Andes Mountains some of the passes over the mountains to get into Bolivia are very high and dangerous for people to be at. You feel sick and can hardly breath. But bordering countries sell coca leaves in a bag to buy for you to chew on while up at these altitudes. It calms your stomach and helps very much to be honest. The people of Bolivia need some Coca leaves in country to be able to pass over the mountains easier. So I hope that we don't take away all of their crowing plants. Granted monitoring that the leaves only go to helping with altitude sickness would be hard I hope we don't take it away from them completely.
-A
I'm just curious as to what the arguments are for each side; why do we think we have a right to interfere with Bolivia's politics and what is there position on why they should sign said treaty?
I am curios about that very same thing... I have looked for other articles and haven't found much information. My next step is to look into Bolivia's news for some answers.
I think the reasoning behind intervening is their illegal production of cocaine leads to drug trafficking, which affects the United States and Brazil in a negative way. At least that's hopefully the reasoning.
I'm all for stopping the production and sale of cocaine. From what I've been told, it's highly addictive and can mess you up fast.
I do think that this treaty won't stop it, at least for long. The logic of mankind seems to be once you can't have something, you want it more and will go to extreme measures to have it (i.e. the drug problems in the US). Plus, the President of Bolivia used to grow coca and is "still head of the main coca growers' federation." To me, this doesn't bode well.
Yes I understand that the reason we are intervening is to cut down on drug trafficking. Honestly I am very glad that we are doing it for that reason alone, because they move the drugs in very unsafe ways down there. Unsafe for the people involved.
So maybe my blog was a little unclear... I am all for stopping the production of a drug that can ruin peoples life. I was just making a point that not a lot people know that the Bolivian's use coca leaves for medical purposes too when they cross the mountain passes.