US drug czar visits cocaine region

US President Bill Clinton's adviser on drug policy flew over Bolivia's coca
leaf and cocaine producing region in a helicopter Saturday, watching as
soldiers destroyed illegal coca fields.

Barry McCaffrey also watched the incineration of $15,000,000 worth of
cocaine and met with Bolivian government officials during his visit to this
tropical region, where a third of the world's cocaine is produced.

"We must support the strategic mission of Bolivia to protect the country's
economic future and families with the elimination of coca leaf cultivation
in Bolivia within five years," McCaffrey said.

President Hugo Banzer Suarez, who met with McCaffrey, said the government
is committed to taking Bolivia out of the cocaine circuit during his
fiveyear term.

COCAINE COUNTRY

The Chapare, located 490 miles (780 km) southeast of La Paz, is the
country's main coca leaf producing region. In Bolivia, there are about
120,000 acres (48,000 hectares) devoted to coca, the raw material used for
making cocaine.

McCaffrey, accompanied by Bolivian Interior Minister Guido Nayar, flew to a
remote coca leaf producing area, where hundreds of Bolivian police and
soldiers, armed with machetes, were destroying illegal coca fields.

US coca leaf expert Francisco Alvarez showed McCaffrey a coca plant and
explained how farmers reproduce coca plants.

"There has been no progress in net eradication, none at all, and we welcome
the strategic concept of this new government to eliminate coca production
in five years," McCaffrey told The Associated Press during a visit to an
antidrug police base in the heart of the Chapare.

According to Bolivian law and agreements with the US government, coca
fields planted within five years are illegal and subject to eradication
without compensation.

THE COST OF DRUG CONTROL

Farmers growing coca in older fields receive $2,500 for every 2.5 acres
(one hectare) of coca that is destroyed.

Bolivia must destroy 17,000 acres (7,000 hectares) by the end of the year
or face decertification by the US government and loss of US aid. Coca leaf
farmers reached an agreement on Friday to eradicate the remaining 5,000
acres (2,000 hectares) by the end of the year.

Two weeks ago Police and soldiers began destroying new coca cultivations in
two national parks. McCaffrey said he will meet privately with Colombian
President Ernesto Samper during his visit to Colombia next week, despite US
charges that Samper has links to drug lords.

The United States has accused Samper of receiving more than $6,000,000 in
campaign contributions from drug lords and has revoked his US visa.