Peruvian Cocaine is Brisk Business

This is a photo of cars that pass the El Carretero Hotel / Hostal etc. in La Paz, Bolivia.

About every 10th vehicle is carrying Coca leaves; they make Cocaine from the leaves. This is obviously a big business and not a mystical wanna be spiritual type situation. Coca was used in the past in moderation but the making of Cocaine is a modern invention. The sad part is that Bolivian and most of South America is starting to use their own drug, so here come cheap drugs to South America.

A Peruvian woman in Cusco was telling me her belief that the Spanish encouraged Coca cultivation, then with the bringing alcohol this caused a major social problem.

The Inca Indians stopped growing food and grew coca, or worked for Spanish.They started growing more Coca and chewing the leaves.The Spanish hooked them on drinking alcohol.

They now had less vitamins in their diets, and the use of Coca and alcohol dulled the brains of the now Quechua Indians. It does seem that there is not much light in the eyes, and the quickness of the eyes is diminished. It would be very easy for me to believe this is true.

It behooves the Mestizos population to keep the Quechua hooked on Coca and Alcohol so they can keep them placid and passive. There are more Quechua people than Mestizos; however, the Mestizos run the country and take all the money. Therefore, there is a moneymaking reason to keep the Indians hooked on Coca leave, and more than just Cocaine.

The original article is at HoboTraveler.com.