University:
University of Wyoming
Course:
POLS4445 | Drug War Geopolitics in the Americas
Academic year:

2023
Views:

418

Pages:

1
Author:

Allison B.

This week’s readings and lecture focused on Bolivia’s policies with “coca yes, cocaine no” and the success of social control versus supply-side eradication efforts as a case study. Grisaffi/Ledebur examine how Bolivia has allocated and organized their policies catos, andwith grassroots leadership playing a key role and examines Morales’s Movement Towards Socialism (MAS). The text argues that Bolivia has experienced success with elimination of supply-side/fumigation policies and instead focus on the organization of coca growing and its licit uses. The adherence of the coca farmers to their limits with the cato and Morales stood out to me, how many of these farmers understood what eradication and violent efforts at drug control looked like, and are now committed to the cato system. They also have a respect for Morales and his efforts to legalize coca at the international level. The text quotes a federation leader who stated, “We respect the cato to shut up the international community.” (Grisaffi/Ledebur pg.11) Ledebur, continued from last week’s reading, builds on the policy-side understanding of MAS and the cato system while weighing US policy and reactions to Bolivia’s coca control. I appreciated the portion discussing USAID’s efforts in Bolivia (which had been briefly mentioned in past readings). Despite a provision of Law 1008 within the US, USAID was still withholding aid until farmers eradicated their coca, placing uneven stress on land with poor soil, ignoring a lack of other viable crop options, and causing humanitarian concerns (pg.34). This withholding of aid from USAID has not been forgotten by Bolivians and in 2013 Morales expelled USAID from Bolivia.