NCJ Number
145850
Date Published
1992
Length
215 pages
Annotation
Based on the author's interviews with Bolivian drug barons, poor coca farmers, drug addicts, traffickers, the Bolivian military, politicians, and American DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) agents, this book examines the cocaine industry in Bolivia and its implications for American drug policy.
Abstract
After the Colombian government and the Bush administration declared all-out war on the Colombian drug barons, cocaine traffickers focused on Bolivia. Already the largest producer of the raw coca leaf, Bolivia tripled its production of refined cocaine between 1989 and 1991; it now ranks second in the world. The Bolivian economy has become dependent on the profits of the cocaine industry. Because the livelihood and lifestyles of so many in Bolivia depend on the cocaine industry, intervention strategies designed to eliminate or significantly reduce this supply source are likely to fail. Although cocaine seizures have increased, the general flow from the region has soared to record levels. Experts have suggested a range of options for addressing the Bolivian cocaine industry. One suggestion is for Western countries to provide coca-producing countries with large injections of aid and expertise to wean their economies off cocaine and compensate for the loss of a highly profitable industry. Another suggestion is that Andean nations be forgiven the interest on debts to other countries in exchange for antinarcotics efforts. No one strategy is likely to be effective on its own, and no strategy will be effective without coordinated efforts by demand and supply countries. It is unlikely that the war on drugs will be won until strong efforts of education and treatment reduce demand. Chapter notes and references and a subject index