Bolivia rejects US allegations about int'l drug trade

 Bolivia's President Evo Morales rejected on Friday the findings from an annual report by the U.S. government on international drug trade.

In its new report named "2017 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report," the U.S. State Department included Bolivia on a list of 22 "major drug transit countries and/or main illicit drug producers."

"Bolivia remains the third largest producer of coca and cocaine in the world and a major transit country for Peruvian cocaine. U.S. data shows that Bolivian coca cultivation is increasing...potential cocaine production in Bolivia has doubled over the past decade," according to the report.

"These actions continue to undermine Bolivia's commitments to its international drug control obligations," it added.

However, a combative Morales fought back on Twitter, saying "the only provable failure in the fight against drugs is by the U.S."

"Bolivia and Venezuela are sovereign states and not submissive to the empire," he added, defending Venezuela, which is also on the list.

The State Department accused Bolivia of increasing the cultivated area of coca by 1,500 hectares between 2014 and 2015 and that the Bolivian government had inadequate controls on this cultivation.

Morales rejected this allegation as well, saying "Colonial Bolivia under imperial dominance: 37,000 hectares of coca. The Plurinational State: 20,000. Where is the evident of failure?"

Morales is responding from Havana, Cuba, where he is for health reasons.

On Thursday, Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera told the press that Morales is suffering from a treatable viral infection which will keep him in Cuba for at least four more days.

Morales has been suffering from a throat infection for about a month and a half.

Xinhua: Source