Carrasco Coca Eradication Clash
Account
On September 29, 2006, two coca growers were killed in Carrasco National Park during a confrontation with 50-60 members of the military eradication force, the Fuerzas de Tarea Conjunta (FTC), and police. [@“Bolivia.- Dos muertos en Bolivia por enfrentamientos entre la Policía y cultivadores ilegales de coca” (2006); Agencia Noticias Fides (n.d.); DosMuertosTres2006a] The FTC was protecting a police brigade that was attempting to enter Carrasco National Park for the purpose of coca eradication when, according to Minister of Defense San Miguel, 200 cocaleros ambushed them with knives, firearms, and dynamite. (@ “Bolivia.- Dos muertos en Bolivia por enfrentamientos entre la Policía y cultivadores ilegales de coca” 2006) Military reports state that the soldiers shot back in self defense (Howard 2006).Cocaleros claim they did not oppose the FTC with any weapons besides wooden clubs (Webber 2006). Ramber Guzmán Zambrana (24 years old) and Celestino Ricaldis (23), cocaleros of the Yangas de Vandiola region, were both shot and killed in the ensuing conflict.
Contrasting reports number only 80 cocaleros at the scene. (“Cocaleros de Yungas de Vandiola niegan estar vinculados al narcotráfico” 2006) Emilio Caero, leader of the coca growers in Carrasco Park, stated that the cocaleros were only defending their crops with sticks and were met with firearms (@ “Bolivia.- Dos muertos en Bolivia por enfrentamientos entre la Policía y cultivadores ilegales de coca” 2006). In addition to the deaths of Guzmán Zambrana and Ricaldis, two soldiers, Germán Chipana Quispe and Eleuterio Ramos, and cocalero Calixto Policarpio Licona were injured and transferred to a clinic in Santa Cruz (@ “Bolivia.- Dos muertos en Bolivia por enfrentamientos entre la Policía y cultivadores ilegales de coca” 2006). The cocaleros took two soldiers and nine police officers hostage, who were exchanged that evening for 4 cocaleros taken hostage by government forces as well as the bodies of Guzmán Zambrana and Ricaldo (Howard 2006). Unable to transport the bodies back to their families in Totora, the coca growers buried Guzmán Zambrana and Ricaldo in one of the local communities (Howard 2006).
The government blamed the attack on drug traffickers, claiming that the coca they were attempting to destroy was illicit and being used for the production of cocaine. (“Contradicciones Sobre Muerte de Cocaleros En Bolivia” 2006) Settlements in the Yungas de Vandiola region are often temporary settlements to grow coca & promote drug trafficking, according to Minister of Government Carlos Romero (“Coca y ‘narcos’ ponen en riesgo fauna y flora del Parque Carrasco” 2012). Ministers of Defense Walker San Miguel and Alicia Muñoz argued that the remoteness of the area and distance from markets necessitated that coca grown in Carrasco Park be solely grown for the production of cocaine (Howard 2006). The government claimed that production of coca in Parque Carrasco is illegal according to Law 1008. (Webber 2006) Nicanor Churata, a representative cocalero leader, countered that the Yungas de Vandiola area is a traditional coca cultivation zone legal under Law 1008 (Webber 2006; Howard 2006). Unable to obtain a meeting with President Morales to address the eradication attempts for the past month, the cocaleros had previously decided to take action to guard government forces from entering the cultivation zone. (Howard 2006) The government usually negotiates eradication with the Six Federations of Coca Growers Union, but Carrasco Park falls outside of their region (Howard 2006).
A large “cache of weapons” in the possession of coca growers, cited in the memorandum, actually belonged to the members of the FTC. (“Using Selective Human Rights Criteria to Assign Blame” 2010) The coca grower withheld the arms and returned them to the armed forces upon the release of their FTC hostages (Howard 2006). Police testimony states that coca growers did not carry guns (“Using Selective Human Rights Criteria to Assign Blame” 2010).
Forensic reports state that Guzmán Zambrana and Ricaldo were shot with large, more lethal caliber bullets, not pellets (Howard 2006). Critically, if the military operation solely intended to dissipate crowds and carry out their eradication of the crop nonviolently, pellets would have been the appropriate choice (Howard 2006).
Coca Eradication
The September 29th incident was the first violent conflict over coca eradication in over two years Anti-drug activities have intensified in Morales’ presidency, under his policy to take a stronger stance against drug trafficking. (Ledebur and Youngers 2007). Ironically, Morales himself was a former coca grower, and his political stance is generally very sympathetic to the cocaleros. (Howard 2006) Morales campaigned on the slogan, “Coca Yes, Cocaine No” (Howard 2006). However, Morales portrayed eradications in Carrasco Park as efforts to avoid a “mini-Colombianization” and to define a zero-cocaine area (“Cocaleros de Yungas de Vandiola niegan estar vinculados al narcotráfico” 2006). Minister of Defense, San Miguel, stated that eradicating coca in Carrasco Park might improve relations with the United States, who pushed for eradication of coca in the ‘War on Drugs’ (Webber 2006). Another supporting rationale is that eradication in the Chapare region favors coca growers in the Chapare region, which supports the president (“Contradicciones Sobre Muerte de Cocaleros En Bolivia” 2006).
Emilio Caero, leader of the Carrasco park area, received threats from Minister of the Presidency Ramón Quintana that eradication in the area will intensify (“Contradicciones Sobre Muerte de Cocaleros En Bolivia” 2006). The minister is holding Caero responsible for the conflict (“Contradicciones Sobre Muerte de Cocaleros En Bolivia” 2006). Tensions in the region grew and militarization and forced eradication continued in Carasco Park. (Ledebur and Youngers 2007) Boundaries of the national parks are not clearly defined, adding to the contradictory accounts and conflict (“National Parks in the Chapare: Recent Conflicts and Complexities” 2009).