The beginning of a Peruvian drug war?

  The Humala administration continues to suck up to the USA and is preparing to copy Colombia and Mexico in their 'war on drugs'.

According to United Nations data the Valley of the Apurimac and Ene Rivers (known as VRAE) is the biggest grower of coca on Earth.
The presence of police and military has been augmented significantly. Already, this has led to various lethal incidents, most probably including the death of children.
It is known that the government is preparing to expropriate more than 1'100 acres of farmland on the valley floor to build a new military airbase.

2012 the permanently on the edge of bankruptcy balancing US-government has paid for its 'war on drugs' 55$ million to Peru. This year, the US embassy in Lima says, the USA will even spend 100$ million.

Source: nbcnews.com

>Neuer Drogenkrieg? Diesmal in Peru?

Vin Tonique Mariani à la Coca du Pérou

Mariani Wine was a tonic vine, created 1863 by the Corse Angelo Mariani. It consisted of Bordeaux wine and extracts of Peruvian coca leaves. The beverage contained ethylbenzoylecgonine, which is very similar to Cocaine (methylbenzoylecgonine) and thus has similar effects.

While in Germany coca-wine was prohibited 1920 because of the cocaine, in the USA it was for its alcohol; Cocaine remained a legal substance until 1970!
However, already at the end of the 19th century people became increasingly aware of the negative side effects of excessive cocaine consumption. Some producers like Pemberton, designer of Pemberton's French Wine Coca which by the time would transform into todays Coca-Cola, began to extract the cocaine from their beverages.

 Vin Tonique Mariani à la Coca du Pérou [fr - Mariani-Wein mit Koka aus Peru] war ein Bordeauxwein mit Kokainhaltigen Extrakten des Kokastrauchs.
>Deutschsprachiger Artikel und Links

Mariani Wine - in France promoted as Vin Tonique Mariani à la Coca du Pérou [fr - tonic wine Mariani with Peruvian coca] - emphasized the Peruvian origin of the coca leaves.

Whereas the original recipe contained 211 mg/L cocaine, the exported Mariani wine contained 254 mg/L cocaine to enable better competitiveness with the equally potential coca-wines in the US-American market. 
The alcohol content was 10%.

Due to the coca extracts and the red wine Mariani Wine had a very stimulating effect.
Vin Mariani advertised (in November 1896), that their "original French Coca Wine {was} most popularly used {as} tonic-stimulant in Hospitals, Public and Religious Institutions everywhere" and recommended "since thirty years by all eminent physicians". It would "nourish, fortify, refresh and strengthen the entire system", while being "most agreeable". It's "exceptional reputation" like being an "effective and lasting renovator of the vital forces" would stand "every test strictly on its own merits". Further it was "palatable as choicest old wines".
This patent medicine was praised for a bunch of helpful effects on the human body like digestive, appetite suppressant, anti-depressant, and treatment against illnesses like malaria, influenza or anemia.
The recommended dose was daily two or three claret-glassfuls taken preferably before or immediately after a meal.

Coca-Cola developed from  coca wine  
Vin Mariani soon became a success on both sides of the Atlantic, which rapidly entailed a lot of copycats. The historically most important imitator was John Pemberton. His French Wine Coca over time has transformed into todays well-known Coca-Cola.

With the blessing of Holy Mother Church
Among the innumerable fans of Mariani Wine were besides a lot of famous people (the picture above shows advertisement featuring an endorsement from Berthelier, a popular late 19th century actor) the contemporary popes. Pope Leo XIII. even awarded Vin Mariani with a Vatican gold medal and thus became a vehicle for its advertising. 
More examples of advertisements and endorsments on  Vin Mariani <the nonist.com> and Vino de Coca Mariani <perso.wanadoo.es>.

Bolivianische Kola mit Koka-Extrakten

Foto: AFP

"Collas" werden die indianischen Bewohner im Hochland genannt.

Coca Colla kostet:
Zehn Bolivianos, ungefähr einen Euro.
Coca Colla enthält:
Wasser, Koka, Aromastoffe, Koffein und Farbstoffe.

La hoja de coca no es droga! | Yes to Coca, no to Cocaine! | Coca ja; Kokain nein!

Coca ist Kulturerbe in Kolumbien, Peru und Bolivien.
Diese Staaten wegen Coca-Anbau zu sanktionieren ist ein Eingriff in die Souveränität dieser Staaten.
Bauern in diesen Staaten muss es erlaubt sein für den traditionellen Gebrauch Coca anzupflanzen. Auch muss es diesen Bauern erlaubt sein Coca zu exportieren, genauso wie es Deutschland oder Belgien erlaubt ist ihr Bier zu exportieren.
Aus gutem Grund ist beispielsweise in Deutschland der Konsum von Drogen jeglicher Art erlaubt! Ein Verbot wäre ein Eingriff in die Mündigkeit des Bürgers.
Abgesehen davon ist Coca nur dann als Droge zu bezeichnen, wenn man sie in die selbe Klasse wie Tee, Kaffee, Fett oder Zucker einordnet. Gewürze wie Muskatnuss haben in etwa die gleiche Rausch-Wirkung wie Coca. Das Einfuhrverbot von Coca nach Deutschland ist deshalb lächerlich und muss dringend abgeschafft werden! Dieses Einfuhrverbot (das auch in den meisten anderen Ländern dieser Welt besteht),  ist einer der Gründe, weshalb in den Coca-Ländern so viel Armut herrscht. Diese Abschottung von den weltweiten Absatzmärkten für Coca-Produkte treibt die Bauern in die Arme der Drogenbarone, an die sie die Coca-Blätter zu einem erbärmlichen Preis verkaufen müssen.
Es kann nicht sein, dass diese Bauern am Rande des Existenzminums leben müssen, weil einige Menschen aus Coca-Blättern Kokain herstellen. Schliesslich lässt sich fast alles zweckentfremden und missbrauchen.

• Indymedia: Coca, Heiligtum der Anden
• Lateinamerika Nachrichten: Koka als normales Handelsgut
  

• Wikipedia: Cocastrauch [de] |
  Wikipedia: Coca [en]|
  Wikipedia: Cocas [es]