Thousands of coca leaf growers seized the main market in Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, on Monday after a week-long dispute over its control. Police used tear gas in an effort to stop them.
Riot police fired volleys of tear gas, while protesters hurled stones and firecrackers, and used large garbage containers to set up makeshift barricades.
Security forces were ultimately forced to retreat as farmers from a group called the Self-Defense Committee took over the market in the Villa Fatima neighborhood, where 90% of the country’s legal coca leaf is traded, according to the UN.
AFP reported that two protesters and two members of the security forces were injured.
EL COMITÉ DE AUTO DEFENSA RETOMA DE FORMA VIOLENTA LA SEDE DE ADEPCOCA. pic.twitter.com/kIQk1kuJez
— Red Union Bolivia (@bolivia_red) October 4, 2021
A group of coca leaf growers from Bolivia’s Las Yungas region is fighting for control of the market with a rival faction reportedly allied with authorities. Las Yungas enjoyed a monopoly on legal coca leaf growing until 2017, when then-President Evo Morales legalized coca production in his home region of Cochabamba.
Adepcoca pic.twitter.com/cbF0j3N0OM
— poke cris (@pokecrisbo) October 4, 2021
The clashes on Monday followed weeks of protests by indigenous activists who demand that the government respect the rights and customs of their land.
#Adepcoca | Concentración de cocaleros convocada por el Comité de Autodefensa y que rechazan a Arnold Alanez. pic.twitter.com/pqqRSJSfyg
— ERBOL (@ErbolDigital) October 4, 2021
“We decided to fight to recover our coca market. We showed that we are the true traditional producers, and not that [pro-government] group that wanted to settle illegally and subject us to the government,” the Departmental Association of Coca Producers (ADEPCOCA) tweeted on Monday.
Local media quoted the leader of a rival faction, Arnold Alanez, as saying he will purchase a new property to function as marketplace.
Coca leaf growers previously clashed with police last month, when several patrol cars were torched.
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source: RT
Împotriva articolelor redacției noastre, persoanele nemulțumite pot formula Contestație în termen de 10 zile de la publicarea articolului, la judecătoria Orășenească nr. 1 München Bayern Deutschland, in conformitate cu Legea federală Germană. Considerăm că nu se pot formula acțiuni la instanțele din România deoarece nici o persoană care activează în trustul nostru nu poate fi extrasă de sub jurisdicția federală germană. Considerăm că redacția noastră nu răspunde în fața autorităților din România ci doar celor federale sau civile germane. deoarece legea română nu are efecte de extraneitate asupra redacției chiar dacă subiectul știrilor face obiectul unor evenimente sau persoane din România și sunt scrise în limba română. Limba română nu este izvor de extraneitate a legii.
