HomeNewsBrief'Ecological Regiment' to Combat Coca Growth in Bolivia's National Parks
BRIEF

'Ecological Regiment' to Combat Coca Growth in Bolivia's National Parks

BOLIVIA / 8 AUG 2012 BY EDWARD FOX EN

Bolivia announced it will create a new ecological unit in the armed forces to protect the country's national parks from the spread of coca cultivation.

On August 6, President Evo Morales announced that the Bolivian military's first "Ecological Regiment" would be created to protect the country's national parks, particularly from the spread of coca cultivation into these areas, reported La Razon. It is illegal to grow coca in any of Bolivia's ecological reserves.

Morales singled out Carrasco and Isiboro National Parks, warning coca growers in these regions to respect the cultivation limits imposed on them. The government began a drive to eradicate all the coca in Carrasco in late May, announcing last month that all the coca they had discovered, 354 hectares, had been destroyed.

InSight Crime Analysis

A June report by La Opinion found that coca cultivation in Carrasco National Park was contributing to the destruction of flora and faunca in the area, with coca growers felling trees over some 500 hectares in order to grow coca.

The introduction of a military unit to protect against this is therefore welcome, though it will have an enormous task on its hands. Based on the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's 2010 report on Bolivian coca cultivation, Carrasco and Isiboro account for around 2,200 hectares of the country's total cultivation. What's more, some fear that a planned highway set to run through Isiboro National Park will damage fragile ecosystems while literally paving the way for further coca cultivation in the region.

The government declared in January that it plans to eradicate all coca grown illegally in the country, a total of some 10,000 hectares. Under the current law, a maximum of 20,000 hectares is allowed to be grown for traditional uses.

Nicaragua launched a similar "eco-batallion" unit in January, which has succeeded in cracking down on illegal logging in the country.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Tags

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BOLIVIA / 30 NOV 2022

Lake Titicaca serves as a crossroads for varied criminal economies, from cocaine shipments to trafficking the frogs that live along…

BOLIVIA / 4 FEB 2022

The US indictment of Bolivia's former anti-narcotics chief on drug and weapons charges means he could possibly be extradited to…

BOLIVIA / 22 JUL 2021

A recent clash between soldiers and smugglers has pointed to how Bolivia’s trade in contraband has reached a flashpoint.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…