Bolivia, Coca Leaves and the “War on Drugs”

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Coca, the raw ingredient for cocaine, has been used in the Andes for thousands of years as a mild stimulant and sacred herbal medicine. How does this indigenous practice fit with the current “war on drugs”? Kyle Navis, of MCC Bolivia, describes the recent change in perspective at the UN.

By the way, did you know that your Coca Cola contains ingredients that come from coca leaves? 

The UN Convention on Narcotics announced last week that Bolivia has rejoined after temporarily withdrawing its membership last year over the convention’s classification of coca as an illicit narcotic. The Convention now recognizes chewing coca leaves as a legal narcotic within Bolivia, which paved the way for Bolivia’s return. While this victory means little in terms of firm policy changes that will affect Bolivia, it does represent a significant symbolic shift in the world’s understanding of this otherwise much maligned leaf.

Traditional Use of Coca Leaves

The coca leaf by itself is a non-addictive source of energy and herbal medicine that is traditionally used in Andean countries to treat all manner of ills, most notably sorojchi (altitude sickness). Besides brewing coca as a tea, the leaves are chewed by large segments of the general population, combined with minute amounts of organically-derived lye in the cheek to extract a very mild stimulant similar to caffeine that both staves off hunger and provides a boost of energy.

Many a driver, construction worker, or market vendor can be seen everyday in Bolivia chewing coca to help them through their day, just as the coffee mug is a fixture in any North American office setting. It’s worth noting that coca-derived products are consumed by much of the global population on a daily basis, as it is one of the key (and eponymous) ingredients of Coca-Cola, which is reportedly the only North American firm authorized to import coca-based products.[1]

It is of course important to recognize that coca is the base ingredient in cocaine (when combined with cement, gasoline and a cocktail of other chemicals) and thus it is in the interest of governments and international bodies to regulate its trade and availability. Nonetheless, the United States’ enforcement-centric eradication to the “War on Drugs” has been enormously damaging to Bolivia in particular. In Bolivia, the effects of this “War” are keenly felt.

A Backlogged Prison System

Hundreds of prisoners have been incarcerated for years for minor drug-related infractions without ever having been formally charged or sentenced in a court. Current Bolivian laws governing narcotics-related infractions are based on legislation provided by the US in the late 1980s that is designed to meet the baselines the US uses to grade other countries’ drug enforcement efforts. The result is an astronomical rate of incarceration in a justice system that does not have the capacity to handle the thousands-deep backlog of cases in a timely manner.

As prisoners who have yet to even be formally charged with a crime remain in prison for years without an end in sight, what happens to their families? How are they to make a living if one or more of the primary breadwinners cannot take steps to pursue justice? While there is a clear and desperate need for reform in the Bolivian justice system, the United States and its partners must also take responsibility for the effects of their influence over drug policy.

As we wait for justice and advocate for change, MCC has partnered with Casa de la Amistad, a project of the Organización Bautista de Desarrollo Social, which provides holistic educational and emotional support to the children of prisoners who live in the men and women’s prisons in Cochabamba, Bolivia. MCC currently has two long-term interns working with the Casa de la Amistad to teach English and provide specialized emotional support.