Thursday, September 17, 2009

Bolivian Cocaine: Facts versus Propaganda

Here are the facts:

Here's President Morales yesterday, and notice that last bit about Bolivia's willingness to buy surveillance planes from the USA to combat drug runners, but the US wouldn't allow the sales. It's actually worse than that; Bolivia also asked the Czech Republic to sell them anti-narco planes, but due to their defence pacts the Czechs had to ask permission from the USA to sell the planes. The USA refused permission. Bolivia didn't get the Czech planes.
Bolivian President Evo Morales said Wednesday that Bolivia has seized a total of 19 tons of cocaine so far this year, more than the 11 tons for all of 2005.

"Also, in the first nine months of 2009, Bolivia eradicated 5,000 hectares of coca (cocaine's raw ingredient) without shooting a single bullet," Morales told a press conference in Quemado Palace in La Paz.

The country's anti-drug forces also discovered mega-factories of cocaine hydrochloride with sophisticated equipment, Morales said.

Morales stressed that Bolivia has achieved success in combating drug trafficking without cooperation of the United States.

Bolivia planned to buy planes with radars to detect aircraft with drug, but "the United States was against those buys," Morales added.

Here is the propaganda. Remember as you read this that Bolivia threw out the US DEA in 2008. Since the USA's "help" has gone Bolivia's cocaine seizures have improved dramatically.
WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The United States has charged Bolivia and Venezuela with failing to do enough to fight the drug trade, but said it would continue aid to the two countries, both led by critics of U.S. foreign policy.

In an annual report, the United States said Bolivia -- the world's third-largest cocaine producer -- Venezuela and Myanmar had all "failed demonstrably" to meet their counter-narcotics obligations.
You guys up there actually think you live in a free democracy, don't you?