Bolivia Wednesday asked Colombia to support its initiative at the organization
of American States (OAS) to legalize the consumption of coca leaves.
“Today we asked the Colombian government (…) that they accompany us to obtain support within the OAS to not penalize the consumption of the coca leaf, which is our cultural tradition. We hope Colombia helps us,” Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca told French press agency AFP.
According to the Bolivian Minister, his country does support fighting illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin, but “it is different to penalize an activity like the ‘mambeo’ [the chewing of coca leaves], which is part of our heritage and culture.”
The Bolivian Foreign Minister is on an official visit to Colombia.