Source: Associated Press
12 January 2011
Bolivian president Evo Morales announced a trip of his Minister of Foreign Affairs to Europe looking for support to his efforts towards the United Nations to eliminate the veto against the chewing of coca leaves, an ancestral habit among the people of Bolivia and other Andean countries.
“We will make this campaign with much humbleness. I will try to speak with some presidents who may object, but I first demand publically that this veto will be removed”, he said wednesday in a press conference without indicating which chiefs of state he was referring to.
In the end of 2008, Morales presented an amendment to article 49 of the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, which penalises coca leaves as the raw material of cocaine. On 31 January the deadline for considering this amendment will expire.
A year ago, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) of the United Nations recommended to ” abolish the use of coca leaves that is contrary to the 1961 Convention of 1961, including the practice of chewing”.
Morales made efforts to obtain the support of several of his Southamerican colleagues. The UN members will have to pronounce themselves and if there is any opposition, we would have to deal with the matter in an international conference, said Foreign Affairs Minister David Choquehuanca. “The UN has a great opportunity to correct this error”, he added.
Morales said there was no reason to maintain prohibition when some states in the US do not penalise the personal transport of few grammes of cocaine for own use.
In its natural state, coca is said to have therapeutic and nutritional properties. Since ancient times Bolivian people chew dried coca leaves to combat fatigue, altitude sickness and to neutralise hunger
Among the arguments that were presented by Bolivia is the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was approved in 2007, which recognises the practice of the habits and traditions of native people.
In Colombia also the indigenous Muisca people attribute medicinal properties to the coca leaf, to treat cancer, heart disease and problems with the nerve system.
BOLIVIA WILL MAKE EFFORTS IN EUROPE TO LEGALISE THE COCA LEAF
I believe that oca leaf should remain intact like they are because coca leaves treats people with OBESETE,CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES,DIABETES AND OTHER AILMENTS THE LABORATORIES HAS TO REALIZE THAT THEY DID NOT THEIR HOMEWORK RIGTH THAT IS HOW MANY PEOPLE GET WOrSE INSTEAD OF JUST SOLVING THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR DIFFERENTS,DISEASES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ONLY GOD CURES AND NO PILL CAPSULE OR DOCTOR WILL HAVE THE POWER OF GOD TO CURE,THEREFORE GOD CREATE THIS PLANT FOR THE WELL BEING OF THE HUMANITY THE REASON FOR ITS ERRADICATION IS DUE BECAUSE ONE CAN NOT PATENT A PLANT OR A LEAF WHICH IN TURN DOES NOT PRODUCE ANY MONEY THEREFORE THE USELESS EFFORT WERE MADE TO SYNTESYZED THE INGRIENDENTS OF THE PLANTS BUT LAB FAIL TO DELIVER THE PROPER COMPOUND THAT WILL SOLVE SOMEONE LIFE.
COCA LEAVES ARE GOOD LIVE THEM ALONE CONTROL YOUR GREEDY APETITE FOR MONEY AT THE END YOU ARE GOING TO DIE WIH OR WITHOUT THE DIRTY MONEY COLLECTED FROM PEOPLE IN NEED ,LEAVE THE PLANTS ALONE THAT THEY CURE BETTER THAN YOUR FAILED MEDICAL PROJECTS WE HUMANS NEEDS NATURAL MEDICINES MADE BY GOD
BOLIVIA WILL MAKE EFFORTS IN EUROPE TO LEGALISE THE COCA LEAF
Good article.