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Colombia and Bolivia want UN to decriminalize coca
Banned plant considered sacred by indigenous peoples
by Adriaan Alsema February 23, 2023
The government of Colombia will join that of Bolivia in asking the United Nations to remove coca from its list of prohibited substances, according to the Foreign Ministry.
In an interview, Deputy Foreign Minister Laura Gil said the governments of President Gustavo Petro and his Bolivian counterpart Luis Arce will ask the UN’s Narcotics Commission to decriminalize the plant.
Coca is considered sacred by many Amazonian and Andean indigenous peoples, and is the base ingredient of cocaine, one of the world’s most popular recreational drugs.
A possible decriminalization of coca would not affect the legal status of cocaine, which is made of multiple chemical compounds.
According to Gil, the joint proposal seeks to decriminalize the traditional cultivation and consumption of coca, which is common among indigenous peoples in a large part of South America.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombia-and-bolivia-want-un-to-decriminalize-coca/
