Dear John,
As the United Nations prohibitionist drug control system comes under renewed criticism from Latin American leaders and from UN human rights bodies, WOLA is excited to announce that we have launched the first issue of the Coca Chronicles.
Our new series will describe how the coca leaf came to be banned under UN drug treaties and highlight the opportunity to lift the ban, now that Bolivia has initiated a long overdue UN review. Coca has been cultivated by Indigenous communities in the Andes and Amazon region for thousands of years, and has come to play a central role in regional customs and traditions.
We hope you join us as we work alongside The Transnational Institute (TNI), a longstanding WOLA partner, to end the ban on coca, vindicating the rights of Indigenous peoples, while fortifying Andean economies and bringing coca’s benefits to increasing numbers of people around the world.
In other news, it was also a historic week for Venezuela as the government of Nicolás Maduro signed an agreement with opposition leaders from the Unitary Platform, almost a year after negotiations were stalled. The agreement is partial but represents an important first step towards a democratic solution to the Venezuelan crisis.
WOLA Director, Carolina Jiménez Sandoval and our Venezuela Director, Laura Dib have been busy talking to the press about what this means for the future of Venezuela.
Thanks for staying with us as we navigate these complex but interesting times.
Best,
