Government denounces that coca growers took over seven military camps and prevented the eradication of coca

The Vice Minister of Social Defense and Controlled Substances, Jaime Mamani, denounced this Wednesday that the six federations of the Tropic of Cochabamba They have taken seven military camps, for 76 days, and they are preventing the eradication of excess coca crops.

Mamani said that the leaders of the six federations told “four public lies with the aim of mobilizing coca producers to prevent the work of the military and at the same time undermine the management of the President of the State Luis Arce.”

The seven camps that have been taken over belong to the military of the Joint Task Force (FTC). Also The office of the Economic and Social Development Unit of the Tropic was taken over (Udestro), which is the entity in charge of registering, controlling and monitoring coca leaf crops in the Cochabamba tropics within the permitted legal area.

“With these falsehoods, the Sacaba coca market, the Udestro offices and Seven Joint Task Force Camps (FTC) for 76 days, affecting the rationalization of coca leaf crops in this area,” he explained.

The minister indicated that there are others 12 FTC camps throughout the national territory, who are working normally to eradicate coca in unauthorized places, such as parks and protected areas.

“We continue with the eradication work in unauthorized areas; what is paralyzed is (the work) in authorized areas of the six federations of the tropics, which, of course, involves the taking of institutions and camps It creates a bad image for our country at an international level,” he lamented.

The authority explained that the first lie of the coca leaders is related to the alleged closure of the Sacaba coca market, which was categorically denied. Mamani recalled that this supply center is protected and recognized by the General Coca Leaf Law 906 and Supreme Decree 3318.

The second observation mentions that the national government will eradicate all coca from the Cochabamba Tropics, using the discourse of “zero coca, zero coca growers”.

The vice minister assured that the surface area of ​​coca leaves at the national level is guaranteed and that it is regulated by Law 906 and its supreme decree, which allow 22,000 hectares of coca crops in Bolivia, of which 7,700 are in the Tropic of Cochabamba.

The third lie concerns the alleged constitutional competence of the six federations to appoint those responsible for the Udestro and the General Directorate of Coca Leaf and Industrialization (Digcoin).

“Nowhere in the Political Constitution of the State and the General Law of the Coca Leaf is the appointment of personnel by the six federations of the Tropic of Cochabamba provided for. The appointments of both Digcoin and Udestro are freely appointed by the president, by the ministers of the area. It is not pertinent to lie to colleagues, and I invite them to review, because nowhere is it mentioned that The appointments must be made by the six federations from the Tropic of Cochabamba,” Mamani noted.

The fourth lie is that it is not eradicated in parks and unauthorized areas, so the vice minister clarified that since the first year of management of the national Government, they were eradicated. More than 13,433 hectares of coca crops in unauthorized areas and protected areas.

“We are the government that has eradicated the most coca in unauthorized zones and protected areas. During our administration We eradicated more than 9,600 hectares of crops of coca in unauthorized areas and 3,807 hectares of coca in protected areas and forest areas. In total, in unauthorized areas and protected areas, we have eradicated 13,433 hectares since we took office as national government, and this work was reflected in the media,” he said.