Cocaine Wars - Bolivia

April 1996
For centuries the coco leaf was a blessing from the Gods. It alleviated the hunger of the Bolivian poor. Today it is a source of narcotic evil for the West.

Bolivia's government, reliant on US aid and vulnerable to US dictates, has been forced to uphold a war against coco producers. The 'Leopards' - anti-narcotic paramilitaries - patrol the tropical jungles of Chapere and destroy small cocaine factories. Local farmers, like Berto, are put under pressure to rip up their coco plants and rePlace them with alternative crops. But now Berto can't sell his new produce and is more impoverished than ever. Human rights organisations report violent abuses committed by the 'Leopards' against men and women. US Ambassador coolly contests such reports and admits that Bolivia would be 'hurt' if it objected to US initiatives. Evo Morales leads the Chapere people in a protest rally. In their muddy villages, the tired faces don't understand why their government is trying to destroy their livelihood.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

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• Cocaine
• War
• factory
• narcotics
• cocoa
• poverty
• Evo
• Morales
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[PaisaZoy]

Bolivian People; stand up!

Don't let the US make your decisions!!!

PROTECT YOUR LAND FROM FOREIGN INVASION!!!

[xxxlkonxxx]

fuck the U.S Govt.

[setboy1]

@popper504 No, they were smart enough to know not to do something as dumb as isolating the alkaloid

[trj1922]

You can beat people, hunt them down, burn their crops, but human nature is to do what you need to in order to survive. If there are no viable options, people will continue to rely on cocaine production. Simple. They won't volunteer to starve because rich foreigners lack self control and the US can't get a handle on addiction within its own borders. If there is no demand, the supply will dry up naturally and without coercion. America needs to get a grip on addiction rates here!

[popper504]

The white man is the smartest thing on this earth...... Europeans chemist came along and made cociane. these bolivian baffooones couldnt figure it out for thousands of years

[popper504]

@pandakorinx we r gonna run over u!

[pandakorinx]

FUck AMERICAN NEOCOLONIALISM!

[EcstasyAcid]

You guys are obviously not very smart if you think cocaine is awesome. Start snorting it every day then tell me if you still think its awesome. Addiction to it is horrible..

[royalsteven]

Cocaine is the best thing happened for mankind.....yes, until you die from it -__-

[Beefer413]

At 12;56 the kid in the green shirt looks like Pablo Escobar. Long live Escobar!