U.S. OFFICIAL PRAISES BOLIVIA'S DECREASE IN DRUG HARVESTS

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) - The U.S. drug policy chief praised Bolivia Wednesday
for its efforts to cut the cocaine production, but expressed concern that it
had doubled in Colombia.

Both Bolivia and Peru have reduced the amount of farmland devoted to growing
coca, the raw ingredient of cocaine, and encouraged farmers to grow legal
crops instead, said Gen. Barry McCaffrey.

``Bolivia has a lot to be proud of,'' McCaffrey said at the end of a two day
visit, which included a trip to the country's Andean region where coca leaf.
McCaffrey also met with President Hugo Banzer.

He also noted Bolivia's successful efforts to control the traffic of
chemicals used in making cocaine.

McCaffrey said, though, that Colombia's drug trade was a cause for concern.
Colombia's economy ``is in a spiral downward,'' and 40 percent of the
country is no longer under the control of a democratic institution, he said.

For years, Peru has been the leading supplier of coca plants, followed by
Bolivia. But harvests in those countries declined, prompting Colombians to
increase coca production 56 percent in 1996 and 1997, according to CIA
analysis of satellite photos and other data.

``Clearly, coca production in Colombia is skyrocketing,'' McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey's tour precedes a November summit of 34 nations from the Americas
aimed at developing a program of cooperation against drugs.