Bolivia declares one of its main natural reserves “free of coca crops”

Bolivia declared the Amboró National Park, one of the country’s main natural reserves, “free of crops Coca leaf” after the eradication of 919 illegal hectares of these crops, the Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo, reported this Tuesday.

Both Del Castillo and his Environment colleague, Alan Lisperguer, led the destruction of what they considered the “last hectare” of unauthorized coca bushes in the park, which has an area of ​​about 636,000 hectares and is located in the eastern department. of Santa Cruz.

“We are declaring the Amboró National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area free of coca leaf crops, so that in this way our protected areas can be protected from foreign crops that could put the entire ecosystem at risk,” Del Castillo stated.

The minister pointed out that the elimination of crops in Amboró began in 2021 with 250 hectares, another 3 a year later, 190 in 2023 and so far this year it has reached 476, bringing it to 919.

He also mentioned that 502 members of the anti-drug forces, including police and military, worked in the eradication, who settled in “more than eight camps located in strategic areas of the protected area.”

The identification of unauthorized crops was made based on “high resolution satellite images” and “recognitions” air and land, added Del Castillo.

In the raids, coca crops were identified in “different states”, from new, pruned bushes, in full leaf production and even combined with pineapple, corn or banana plantations.

For his part, Minister Lisperguer said that after the eradication the recovery of these soils will begin with “native forest species”.

Lisperguer pointed out that since 2021 “3,335 hectares of coca crops were eradicated in protected areas” such as the Carrasco National Park, the Isiboro Sécure National Park Indigenous Territory (Tipnis) and the El Choré Natural Reserve, to which Amboró is added.

The Amboró National Park is home to highland and lowland animals such as the jaguar and the spectacled bear, forests appreciated for their wood, with orchids and giant ferns, as well as about 800 species of birds.

Coca leaf crops in Bolivia decreased by 2% by going from 30,500 hectares registered in 2021 to 29,900 in 2022, according to a report presented last October by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc, in English).

The coca leaf in Bolivia is enshrined in the Constitution in force since 2009 for its traditional, medicinal and cultural uses, but a part of the production is diverted to drug trafficking for the manufacture of cocaine.

Since 2017, Bolivia has had a law that expanded the area of ​​legal crops from 12,000 to 22,000 hectares.

The Government applies concerted eradication or “rationalization” with groups of coca farmers in areas where the bush is legally planted, such as Los Yungas, in La Paz, and the Tropics of Cochabamba.

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