Bolivian coca cultivation jumped by 10% in 2019, UN says

According to the Washington Post, a recent report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that “coca cultivation jumped 10% in Bolivia in 2019, the final year of President Evo Morales’ government, partly because of reduced eradication efforts amid rising social and political conflicts.”

The Washington Post further noted that “Thierry Rostan, the agency’s representative in Bolivia, noted the expansion of coca fields in six of the country’s 22 national parks where a “significant degradation of ecosystems and the environment” was seen. The most affected park was Madidi National Park in the Bolivia’s Amazon.”

The report also discussed what the potential ramifications of the pandemic would be: ““It is very likely that the area under coca cultivation will increase in the producing regions, due to lower levels of rationalization/eradication activities carried out for the control of surplus crops. These activities were temporarily suspended as of March 2020."

See the entire Washington Post article here.