Coca growers begin fast

Press, 1 November 1984, Page 6

Coca growers begin fast

NZPA-Reuter La Paz Hundreds of Bolivian coca growers have gone on a hunger strike for the freedom of their trade yesterday, only hours after the President, Dr Hernan Siles Zuazo, ended a four-day fast for national unity. Dr Siles Zuazo ended his fast on Tuesday after the Catholic Church offered to mediate to bring about an accord with his political foes. He told supporters gathered to pray for his health that his fast had created a climate of reflection and peace. Officials said that about 2000 peasants had gone on a hunger strike in churches in the coca-growing Chapare jungle region to demand free marketing of their crops and the withdrawal of elite military anti-drugs squads. The Bolivian bishops’ conference said that it would, “in due time” release its proposal for national dialogue to solve political infighting and social unrest in the heavily-indebted nation. Bolivian peasants have for centuries grown coca leaves, chewed by Indians to ward off cold and hunger. But over the last few years the bulk of vastly increased crops has gone into illegal production of cocaine for export to the United States and Europe, drug experts

say. Dr Siles Zuazo in July, sent anti-drugs squads to restore law and order in the Chapare region, where local authorities had been frightened away by well-armed gangs of drug-traffickers. The traffickers fled, leaving the peasants without outlets for their crops.