On January 26, coca growers and their constituents gathered in cities across Bolivia to hold peaceful demonstrations in support of Bolivia’s proposed amendment to the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The amendment seeks to decriminalize the traditional practice of coca leaf chewing.
Coca growers’ federations from the Chapare region gathered in Cochabamba’s main plaza to collectively chew coca, distribute information, offer free samples of coca leaves, and show their solidarity with the Bolivian government’s proposal. Across the country, thousands of coca growers and their supporters gathered on this day, sending a clear message to the governments of countries that have objected to Bolivia’s amendment, including the United States, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
These “chew-ins” highlight the cultural, social and economic importance of licit coca leaf use in Bolivia.
Read and sign the letter to Hillary Clinton requesting that the US remove its objection to the amendment.