The world's biggest legal coca industry might get shut down

A right-wing power grab in Bolivia could spell the end of a system that has likely kept the drug war in check
Vice (US)
Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Bolivia is one of three countries in the world that produce the bulk of the world’s coca, the green leafy plant that is the base ingredient for cocaine. And it's the only country where such large-scale production is totally legal—a system seen by some as a future template for legal cocaine production. Now, amid political turmoil, Bolivia’s legal coca industry could be shut down. It’s a move that some worry could lead to the return of drug war bloodshed to this relatively peaceful country. Meanwhile, those currently in power say the legal system is not as legal as it seems, and is feeding into the illegal international cocaine trade.