We were lucky enough to be included in a tour to the largest coca growing region of Bolivia. The tour was sponsored by Omanaser, a public rights branch of the Maryknoll institute, that has been working with US and Bolivian governments and the coca growers unions to subdue conflicts that came to a head in the late eighties over coca production, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Here are a few interesting facts about coca:
The price paid to coca growers is 2% of the value of cocaine. (and we commercial fishermen are complaining!) Bolivia is the third poorest nation in the Western Hemishere. Nearly 30% of the populstion subsists on less than a dollar a day. Until the 1990's growing coca provided subsistence for approximately 45,000 Chapare families. The coca leaf has a long history of being used for a mild stimulant and appetite suppressant before it's use as an ingredient for cocaine. It plays an important role in Andean social and religious life. It is now legal for each member of the agriculture union to have about 1/4 acre of coca on thier farms. The "US War on Drugs" funded and continues to fund, military intervention and training for coca irradication. (We also visited a training facility) The tactics used have now been cooled down as human rights were being violated and there is no proof the tactics slowed down overall coca production in South America. (when the pressure is put on one area, coca is produced in a new area) The current president of Bolivia was the head of the coca growers union.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Maggie tiene 14 anos!
Pulled off a party for Maggie the afternoon of "bike only" day. 4 families in attendence. Got an "Interminable" (never ending) pizza that served 20 and a huge-ass cake. Took 2 guests to carry the cake between them 10 blocks to our place. Our landladies son risked arrest to use his car to get the pizza here. Can't believe our baby is 14!! catie
First Sunday of September
Sunday was another day holding a "only in Boliva" event. From 7:00am to 6:00pm the streets of this city of some 800,000 people were closed to vehicle traffic...only bikes and pedestrians.What a gas to to pedal through the streets were normaly pedestrianns nor bikes have the right of way (much less right to a life) and have only fellow cyclist to merge with. Lots of families. the busiest streets busy with bikes...the local curch even had a benidiction of the bicycles (see photo). The history is; seven years ago they held a clean air day on the first sundaday of September... the people liked it so much it stuck... Crazy that the poorest country with all its political instability can be so progressive (my definition of progressive).
tb
Monday, September 3, 2007
Into the hinterlands...
Well, I really feel like I need to share with you all what I experienced on a three day trip into the mountains and high plains of Bolivia. But I'm stuck. Can't really begin to put it into
words. I'll try...
Picture dry, dry country....houses made of Adobe and then in poorer pueblos, rocks. Subsistence lifestyle that makes Alaskan subsistence look like a 3 star hotel. Impossibly high, 14,000 ft. plots of ground made of dust waiting to be planted. More dust everywhere and water far, far away. Landscape brown, houses even browner, mountains every shade of brown and the only spots of color are the wonderful weavings and embroidery of the women, worn on the backs of men. Stoney soil only airable after probably generations of rock picking. Llamas and sheep and a few goats for eating. One or two cows for plowing. Potatoes, quinoa and what else? Its the dry season so nothing green growing. Digging last years potatoes? Anyway.... 3 days away from Cocha, 25 hours of driving, 2 inaugaration events for a new health center and a school, 37 spiritual moments when I knew I was going over a cliff, sleeping at 13,000 ft, 50+ glances into eyes that know a different world.
Every drop of water I use today is precious. I'm enjoying it and trying not to waste it. Cate
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