Bolivia hopeful threatens US 'nightmare'

Tafari

Bolivia hopeful threatens US 'nightmare'

The front-runner in the race to be the next president of Bolivia has declared that his election would be "a nightmare for the United States".

Evo Morales, a left-leaning politician and strident critic of US policy, closed his election campaign on Thursday by telling a packed football stadium in the central city of Cochabamba that his Movement to Socialism party was a "political force that has the North Americans trembling".

Bolivians will vote to elect a new leader on Sunday and opinion polls show Morales holding a slight lead over his two rival candidates. He is aiming to become the country's first indigenous president.

Morales is something of a pariah in Washington due to his defence of coca-leaf growing. The crop, which is a key ingredient in producing cocaine, is the target of US anti-drug efforts in the country. Bolivia is the world's third-largest producer of cocaine.

The presidential hopeful has voed that, if elected, he would move to legalise coca. Bolivian Indians chew the shiny green leaf to prevent altitude sickness and brew it in herbal teas.

"We are betting against narco-trafficking, we want 'zero' cocaine but we say no to 'zero' coca," he said.

US concern

Washington claims that most of the coca leaf grown in Bolivia is eventually processed into cocaine, but coca farmers say they aim to supply a legal market.

Sean McCormack, the US State Department spokesman, said the Bush administration supported the current Bolivian government's counter-narcotics policy and hoped that the next government would have the same approach.

"We expect whatever government comes next in Bolivia to honour those commitments that they have made to fight the production and transport of illegal drugs," he told a news briefing.

The Cochabamba rally ended months of election campaigning. Morales has travelled throughout Bolivia's mountain hamlets and big cities, hoping to galvanise the country's poor Indian majority that he hopes will sweep him to power.

He has also used his campaign to criticise US policies on free-trade, arguing that they have plunged South America's poorest country deeper into poverty.

Despite his lead in polls, Morales is unlikely to secure the 50% of the vote needed for outright victory and a new president is likely to be chosen by a new Congress, which will also be elected on Sunday, in a vote next month.

zero · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:47 am Post subject:

does anyone know if the effects of cocaine and chewing the coca leaf are similar?

It might be a good idea to stay away from a bunch of backwoods indians that are whacked on coke. Just a word of advice for anyone planning on a trip to bolivia.
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Tafari · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:19 am Post subject:

Zero,

Its kind of an insulting response to ones culture and these Indians are not all whacked on coke. They are not even close to being the same - coca is not coke. They actually have several coca leaf sodas and sell coca leaf tea in South America.

I respect the culture of these Indians and their rights to coca just like your right to herb.

Tafari

**Ferre** · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 2:01 pm Post subject:

Slide · Cannabis Sacrament Minister Joined: 11 Mar 2004 Posts: 339

Nature gets it right, man screws it up.

It's nice to see a politician trying to protect cultural/religous rights for once.

zero · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:02 pm Post subject:

thanks for answering a legitimate question and also bieng dicks about it.
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Don Quixote · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 8:19 am Post subject:

speaking as a dick head ;-}

coca and cocain are as different as herion and poppies.coca leaves contain several active ingredients which are removed in the process of purifying cocain.

to put it into perspective :-

the coca leaf contains less than 1% 'cocain' .ie ... it takes over 100 kilos of coca leaf to make 1 kilo of cocain.

there are several active 'alkaloids' contained in coca leaves , each of which has different effects on the human body.

coca leaf chewing is part of the intrinsic cultural, religeous and medicinal inheritance of the Indians, and has been for thousands of years.

the Indians NEVER purified cocain.it was the 'civilised' world that taught them that little trick.ie ... their slave masters.

Evo Morales is a representative of the 'cocaleros' and they are vehemently OPPOSED to all cocain production and trafficing.

the largest group involved in cocain production and trafficing is the CIA.

where do you think all that 'black' funding comes from?this is how the CIA is able to spend 5 times its budget on its little terrorism projects.from coke dealing.!

who do you think is dumping tons of coke on the ghetto's of the USA.?it aint a bunch of Indians who dont even have enough food to eat..its the CIA/MAFIA.

ps. coka cola was originaly made from coca leaves.!

PEACE

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Pepper · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 11:30 am Post subject:

Coka Cola still uses coca leaves in it's product. Shocked

Johnny J · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 1:05 am Post subject:

I went to a lecture on entheogens last year. There were 3 speakers, all professors at local colleges. One spoke on the impact of the War on Drugs on indigenous cultures in less developed countries around the world. Based on what she said, it is overwhelmingly clear that the use of non-processed plants (namely coca & poppy) by indigenous populations and their impact is wholly different than how they are used by consumers in a processed form once it is exported to the developed nations.

Yours

!!joHnNY j!!

**aeroplane** · Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 1:46 pm Post subject:

Does anyone know the results of the Bolivian presidential election? Question

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**Brother Adam** · Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 6:33 pm Post subject:

There is a huge difference between an herb in it's natural form and drugs. Cannabis is an herb, used un-processed in it's natural form. Coca leaves are an herb used in their natural form, same with poppy. It is when these things are chemically altered that they become drugs. Alcohol is the same thing...a drug. We really need to get the classifications of these things right. Cannabis = an herb
Cocaine = a drug
Crack= a drug
Heroin = a drug
Prescription meds = a drug
Alcohol = a drug

Need I say more? Rolling Eyes

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Don Quixote · Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 12:28 pm Post subject:

Snr.presidente Morales swept to victory on a tide of resentment , mostly created by the privatisation of drinking water and Bolivia's natural resources.

this was one of the main issues of his election campaign.

protecting the right to grow , market and use coca leaves was only one of the main issues , but it is so deeply rooted in the culture , religion , history and psychy of all quechua speaking peoples that it asssured him of massive , hardcore support from the indigenous majority.

his first move was on May 1 , or international labour day.he announced the seizure of all oil , gas and water resources and sent the Bolivian army in to seize all assets.true to his word.

he also announced that the people were allowed to 'tap into' the foreign water companies pipes and is even providing government assistance to facilitate this.true to his word.

companies like British Petroleum , british Gas and Bechtel have been invited to pack their bags and bugger off.

effectivly he has signed his own death warrant.

when he turned up in Europe to meet various EEC officials he was wearing a beat up old jumper and pants.he looked like a 'peyone' speaking to his masters.

but when he stood at the rostrum to speak , he changed completely.he grew in stature.when he spoke of "his" people , he did so with a passion , with a fire and with genuine love which cannot be faked.

the look on all those patronising Euro-crats faces was a classic.suddenly they realised they weren't dealing with a fawning , easily manipulated peasant and you could see it on their faces.

he basicly stood up and publicly told them all to 'go boil their heads'.there would be NO compromise.no deals done.

their attitude towards him and his people has changed accordingly.now he is an 'evil coke pusher' who refuses to allow our vampire corporations in to suck his people dry.

of all the world leaders , i like this bloke most of all.he really IS one of the people.

i wonder how power will affect him.my guess is he wont change.good luck to him , i hope he can do something good before Bolivia "experiences regime change."

PEACE

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