Evo Morales at The Cnd in 2013 - Full speech with English and Spanish subtitles

Thank you very much Mr. President of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations, Ambassador Antonio García Gaviria, to the Executive Director, Mr. Yuri Fedotov, to all members of the Board, to the ambassadors of every country present here. To all delegations to this institution of the fight against drugs, so important for all human beings and for future generations. Firstly, in the name of the people of Bolivia, I would like to express with respect towards this institution, a rightful homage with a moment of silence for the brother, the partner and friend, Mr Hugo Chávez Frías, recently deceased. Secondly, Mr. President, members of the Board, I am a little worried because I'm seeing some tension in this meeting, the 55th reunion of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations. I was asking myself, would it be because of the passing of our brother Hugo Chávez? Or maybe it is because of the failure of the fight against drugs around the world? I would like to say to you that this is my third time in this event, and I do not come here to bother you, I come to share experiences but also to express differences regarding the fight against drugs around the world. I also come to listen to the different presentations from various regions, to know where we are at in the fight against drugs. I would like to thank the president and the entire Board for allowing me to participate and listen to the several interventions that were made before mine. On the other hand, I take this opportunity to express my respect, my admiration to the 169 countries that supported our re-addition with reserves to the Convention of 1961. This means recognizing the legitimate use of the chewing of coca leaves. Known in Bolivia as pishé or acuñico, not only amongst the indigenous movement, but in every social classes. Professionals, drivers, students and, of course, the native indigenous farmer movement. And above all, the recognition of the cultural, medicinal, and nutritional uses, of this coca leaf. I deeply regret that 15 countries did not recognize it, 3 from America, 10 from Europe and 2 from Asia. We are not resentful, I fully understand these differences we have. As a people, it is our right to have differences. But the 169 countries who supported our decision to recognize the traditional use of the coca leaf is an important step for the recognition of the coca leaf itself. I would also like to take this opportunity to clarify that this reserve does not mean that Bolivia is taking a step towards, or supports the legalization of *** or other drugs. I would like to tell you delegates, of this important institution, not only for Bolivia and America but for the whole world, that indigenous peoples we are not of the culture of ***. We are not of the culture of drugs. Therefore, we don't think in any moment of drug legalization, as some countries propose. Some regions will surely have their arguments. We respect them. The fact of recognizing the traditional consumption of coca leaf is only based on the recognition towards the culture of the coca leaf in its natural state. Unfortunately, they have demonized and criminalized the coca leaf. The coca leaf is frowned upon, as is the indigenous movement. However, little by little we are fighting this battle. Let the coca leaf in its natural state be known. Thus, I want to clarify again, reiterate and endorse, this does not mean legalizing *** nor legalizing drugs. We will defend the coca leaf, defend it, and always express, that it is not possible that within the Single Convention of 1961, the coca leaf is known as a narcotic. The coca leaf in its natural state is not a narcotic. Another thing is with the use of precursors, of certain chemicals agents, we condemn them and we reject them outright. I want to express our strong position, if not now, sooner or later, under the knowledge and reflection of the world, the coca leaf will be removed from the list of narcotics of the United Nations. To reiterate, once again, we are talking about this coca leaf, which is not... it's green, and not white like ***. Yes, here we have organized to combat *** and all other drugs. On the other hand, I would like to say to you, the coca leaf has an inextricable link between the community and Mother Earth. That is, it is used in our rites. Bolivia is a religious country, mainly Catholic, but every Friday, or every first Friday of the month, rites, not only in indigenous communities but in the cities, it would be so good that some of you would visit, join, this form of bonding, And so the people of Bolivia have a double religion, the rite for Mother Earth, Pachamama, its wealth, each Friday. On the other hand, every Sunday we also participate in Masses, or other religions. It is very interesting. That is, at last, also the plurality of the Plurinational State. We are diverse, probably in every country. I also said that I come here to express our differences regarding the fight against drug trafficking. Criminalizing the coca leaf is a historical mistake. And that mistake is being amended by the effort we have made with the support of the international community. The problem is not the coca leaf. Here are two important problems, one of them has to do with the Conventions and protocols and all international standards adopted to date since the year 1961. Second, the problem of the global strategy of the fight against drug trafficking. I just wonder, in the year 1961, Bolivia, how many hectares of coca did it have? Colombia, Peru, how many hectares of coca did they have? They were not like now, and how it has increased since 1961! How the drug market has expanded! How that drug market is accompanied with violence, the race of arms, how drugs are a business for some countries. And that's why illegal drugs are currently the third most profitable industry in the world. This is reported by the United Nations, that after the food industry, and the oil industry, with an estimated value of 450 trillions annually, and completely under the control of criminals. In practice, the result reached by the Convention of 1961 was opposed to what was desired. I feel, dear delegates, unfortunately by some powers, there is a double discourse in the fight against drug trafficking. It would be great if we could all agree. The fight against drugs is at the same time a failure of our international standards, or may we say of the United Nations Convention. To what conclusion do I arrive with a little experience, first as a social leader and then as a President? Social leader of the coca leaf production sector, and I have nothing to be ashamed of. At the first meeting, or my first attendance here, I said that if coca is ***, then here before you is a drug dealer. Stop me! Put me in jail! And no one dared to imprison me. And the second time I came, I said, this coca leaf must be recognised as a traditional product, a medicinal product and an agricultural product, and we are on that path. You know, some of the powers, the empires, use the fight against drug trafficking for purposes purely political and economic. If that is not reviewed, the fight against drug trafficking will continue to be a failure. And that is the experience I have so far. Today, more and more drugs in the markets, today more and more weapons that fuel social violence, today, there is more illegal money, concealed by banking secrecy. I came here and proposed how to end banking secrecy. Today, we are witnessing a silent war between traditional drugs, and synthetic drugs, which compete for the market punctuated by the pharmaceutical industry. You know, especially in the North, synthetic drugs. The so-called fight against drug trafficking has become an instrument of geopolitical dominance. Expressing our experience, Mr. President and all delegates, in Bolivia, without military bases, we are better today. The Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) of this last 2012 highlights the significant increase in *** poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, which reached 154,000 hectares. This is an increase of 18% compared with the year 2011, reminding the whole world that Afghanistan is a country currently occupied by the U.S., militarily occupied by the U.S. The area planted with poppy spread over half of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. In 2011, the number of Afghan families who were engaged with marihuana increased by one third. They went up from 47 thousand to 65 thousand. The INCB recommends the Afghan government to update its strategy against drugs. Rather, than giving a recommendation to the government of Afghanistan, the INCB should recommend the U.S. government, because Afghanistan is under the control of the U.S. military. To express our model, the Bolivian model, reiterating, there will never be zero coca leaf, but neither can there be free cultivation of coca. By mere awareness of producers and the Bolivian people, which unfortunately, divert coca leaf for an illegal market, to an illegal problem, that is ***. We don't agree, we don't accept it. If that black market wasn't there, there would have been coca leaf cultivation for sure. Since there is an illegal market, then there is a delineation of coca cultivation. And here I want to take the opportunity to talk about the Department of La Paz, for authorities to know the Department of La Paz. It is the same producers from the coca leaf movement with all their coca crops, who are using the so called "traditional lace". There is a cord, from there they cannot extend the cultivation of coca, and that same producers of coca control coca production. In my area, known more as the Chaparra area and the Tropic of Cochabamba, the farmer movement is involved in the control, but there are fully delimited coca crops. I want to reiterate once again there's 40 meters by 40 meters allowed, called cato of coca, the hectare is over 6 catos. Imagine the consciousness the campesino movement of the Bolivian people, delimiting 40 meters by 40 meters. I would like, in the consciousness of participation, to express up here our appreciation to the European Union. The EU is involved with social control, which is the working union control, community control, to the cultivation of coca. A moment ago, our director explained what that control is about. The union, the producers, the community, have their own penalties, their own penalties if they infringe the cato of coca. That is the most effective in the fight against drug trafficking and supporting policies for rationalization. But more importantly, I want to say, delegates, as how to nationalize the fight against drug trafficking, and to regionalize it. Here I bring two experiences on the nationalization, without military bases and without the U.S. DEA, we are now even better. This is recognized by the United Nations. And I say regionalize because I welcome the cooperation of Brazil, donating four helicopters to fight drug trafficking, I salute Argentina, guaranteeing us a market, a market for catano, catanos that are coming from the coca leaf production area. With many presidents we have talked on how to move to regionalize the fight against drug trafficking. Bolivia invests yearly in this nationalization of the fight against drug trafficking a total of 40 million dollars. Within the shared responsibility, sadly, almost nothing is received from the U.S. government. That should be a responsibility, not a means of cooperation. I want to express, before, the eradication of coca crops happened along with dead and wounded, and confrontation between peoples. Today there is reduction and eradication with respect to human rights. Now there is reduction and eradication with respect to the Mother Earth, and environmental control. No herbicides are used to eradicate coca cultivation. And besides that, we see for the national parks and forest reserves, There is eradication, happily and thanks to the conscience, it is not resistance, but not all are equal, some go inside to plant coca. And we have trouble getting there with soldiers, armed forces or the national police in this reduction of coca crops. I also want to express about our 'crop diversification policy' of other crops. I would like to express here my profound difference when some delegates speak about alternative development. With great respect, I would like to tell you, I do not think there is an alternative development. What do I understand by alternative development? There must be an alternative to coca plant. Alternative means what? Alternative to marihuana, or poppy, or to the coca leaf. Unfortunately, the illegal market defines the price for coca or the price for poppy, or the price for marihuana. This cannot see, equal or better products than those, because the illegal market defines the price. How can there be an alternative for coca? I think, I have commented throughout the 90's, the U.S. said they were trying to impose the alternative development, and us, what did we say? There is no alternative development. There is only "altered-native", instead of alternative. But besides that, how we were conditioned, blackmailed, "if you eradicate coca crops, you're going to see schools, as alternative development" and there are some regions where there were no coca producers, and those people, were forced to grow coca in order to have a school or improvement for the roads. The so called alternative development, instead, promotes more coca cultivation. Here, instead of thinking about alternative development knowing that there is never going to be an equal or better product than these products. Because the illegal market defines the prices, I think that we are wasting our time by thinking about alternative development. But rather, I would like to see a comprehensive development of the different products that we are implementing, with very important results. we are not always all the same, that is the truth, but, when you plan and when there is more social investment, there are results. Just a little experience, and I would like to invite delegates, regions to discuss in Bolivia, to verify, that you be witnesses as well of this form of implementing a comprehensive development in our regions. I want to express the result of this model for combating drug trafficking. According to United Nations data for 2011, we achieved a net reduction of over 12%, this is not data from the Plurinational State of Bolivia, it is United Nations' data, and in 2011 we have reduced how much? We reduced more than 10,000 hectares. And in 2012 we have reduced more than 11,000 hectares, Now what will be the report of the United Nations? If with 10,000, more than 10,000 hectares in 2011 we practically reduced 10,509 hectares, and that allowed us the reduction of more than 12% of cultivation of coca leaf. But you know, with apologies to our ambassador in Peru, chairman of the meeting of this session, there [in Peru] the coca crops have grown. In Colombia as well. But in Bolivia we have reduced by our own effort and social participation. I want to say at this point last year we had the reduction of 600 hectares, and this year we are a little over 1,200 hectares of reduction. Our goal is to exceed the goals of reduction and eradication of past efforts, through the efforts of the armed forces, as well as the national police. From 2000 to 2005, 49 tons were seized of *** paste. From 2006 to 2012, our management, in my term as President, we have seized 190 tons of *** paste. The number of law enforcement operations from 2000 through 2005, were 28,219. In our management from 2006 through 2012, 84,219 operations were made. I also want to take this opportunity, especially, to express the short history of the coca leaf. I want you to know that currently as President, but surely lately as a citizen of Bolivia, when my term ends, we will always defend the coca leaf with many scientific, historical arguments, besides those of ancient character. Many more people now wish to, as was done here in Europe since the last century, -in the nineteenth century they industrialized coca leaf. Like last year, I showed many industrial products made in Europe, not in Bolivia or Peru, although these countries industrialize as well. Mariani wine, which started production in France in the late nineteenth century, being the first massive industry of coca leaf, of course with the Latin American leaf and not the European leaf and I tell it as a pleasant memory, that Pope Leo III carried the Mariani wine and awarded Angelo Mariani with the gold medal, in the Vatican. Hopefully the new Pope, which will start soon, will resume the use of Mariani wine. The story even goes that Mariani wine was provided in Mass. Unfortunately this past history is ignored, is unknown, unrecognized. Coca has many industrial products in Europe, the great dispute between Mariani wine and the American Coca Cola. It is true that Europeans lost to the U.S. with the Coca Cola, Mariani wine, ended, sadly. That is the conclusion I arrive because there is history. We have coca tea, candy, coca syrup, coca wine, coca spreadable cream. Here, the universities of Germany made a research on coca toothpaste, which is very good to take care of human teeth. And this research is not from Bolivian universities, but tested in Germany. This scientific research was surprising. Among many things, I want to briefly inform you, friends, delegates, that our brother Mr Vice President of Bolivia got married last year, and one of their cakes was a coca cake. As quilma cake, there are many cakes, and in some places, well, the coca cake for marriage is trendy today. I want to take this opportunity to say that the fundamental objective of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is to control the abuse of narcotic drugs., and not to prohibit the medicinal and cultural practices that do not harm human health, as stated in the preamble and Articles 1, 2, 4 and 21 of the Convention. Especially Article 4, paragraph C, which states: "The parties will adopt all appropriate legislative and administrative measures that could be necessary. C: Without prejudice to the provisions of this Convention, it will fit to restrict only the production, manufacture, export, import, distribution, trade, use and possession of narcotic drugs to medical and scientific purposes." I want to take this opportunity, delegates, and respecting the Convention in this part, on how industrialize with beneficial purposes for mankind. We will try, apart from the client to be interviewed, to prove that this product can benefit mankind. The use of coca leaf in its natural state has innumerable and proven medicinal purposes. It has been proven effective for hundreds of generations in the fight and relief against arthritis, diabetes, altitude sickness, and as a digestive. But besides this I want to say, not only in Bolivia, people consuming the coca leaf in its natural state, are cured of diabetes. It has surprised me, some ambassadors from South American countries take their coca leaf in the special case of diabetes. There are very elderly people consuming coca flour, and when consulted, it does good to health. It would be good for scientists pointing this deep investigation, of what the Andean people live, some South American and some people even in Europe. Thus, our need to develop this policy of reindustrialization, not to harm humanity, but rather to save lives, because it saves lives at this point. Mr. Chairman, delegates, I heard speeches on that planning of a session in 2016, an excellent initiative, I salute this initiative. We would need two or three years to retrieve the results. Good results in the fight against drug trafficking may be seen in the small model of Bolivia, where outcome are recognized by the United Nations. But we must also review and discuss the failures of the fight against drug trafficking. I am almost certain, the fight against drug trafficking or the so-called fight against terrorism or fight for democracy, are struggles used for purely geopolitical ends. I know you can see results. Unfortunately, sometimes, whether in the fight against drug trafficking or against terrorism, or the so called dictatorships from some countries, they all have objectives of a geopolitical control, feeling entitled to that geopolitical control. It is not possible that behind the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism, are the interests of some powers to take over our natural resources. If we do not change that mentality imposed by rules or by Government or empires, surely the fight against drug trafficking is not going to be effective. It will have no results. As in Bolivia, only with political will we have nationalized the fight against drug trafficking and it has results, recognized by the United Nations. It is possible to advance in the fight against drug trafficking. Against drugs and reiterating once again, I come here mainly to share these experiences. We would like to continue sharing, not only in these instances of Vienna, Austria, but we invite you to visit Bolivia, and collect suggestions. How we can improve? How we can we create standards for this social participation, social control, in the fight against drug trafficking that is so important to human beings, but especially for future generations. I come here with the desire to share these experiences. I apologize if we have exaggerated or ended up bothering you, but as a human being, I have an obligation. As the temporal President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, I am sharing these experiences for the good of all human beings in the world. Thank you very much. Transcribed and translated by Brun Gonzá***, Espolea, México