Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia has an Op-Ed in the New York Times today. He asks why it is against international law to chew coca leaf and "Why is Bolivia so concerned with the coca leaf?"He answers, "Because it is an important symbol of the history and identity of the indigenous cultures of the Andes.
The custom of chewing coca leaves has existed in the Andean region of South America since at least 3000 B.C. It helps mitigate the sensation of hunger, offers energy during long days of labor and helps counter altitude sickness. Unlike nicotine or caffeine, it causes no harm to human health nor addiction or altered state, and it is effective in the struggle against obesity, a major problem in many modern societies."
Read the rest of his Opinion piece here at the New York Times.
(Evo's sweater is made of alpaca, a camelid mammal native to the Andes. My partner, Derek Kverno, has the exact same super-soft Bolivian pullover that Evo is wearing in this picture.*)
*AP photo/Victor Caivano
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