Bolivia – Coca or Death

In “Bolivia – Coca or Death,” Sandra Jordan takes us on a gripping journey into the heart of Bolivia, a country torn apart by the conflict between traditional coca farming and the demands of the West. At the center of this conflict is the coca plant, which has been used for centuries by the Bolivian people as a herbal pick-me-up, but has also been linked to the production of cocaine.

As we travel through the dusty mountain roads of La Paz and deep into the Andes, we witness the violent clashes between armed troops and desperate coca farmers, who are fighting for their right to grow and sell coca. We learn about the US government’s attempts to substitute the economic reliance on coca production with other industries through an $85 million “Dignity Plan,” but how the failure of these industries to match the profits of coca has left many coca-growers jobless and angry.

The film also explores the larger political and economic context of the conflict, including Bolivia’s booming economy and massive foreign investment, but also the stripping of nearly $300 million a year from the coca substitution plan. This has led to the coca plant becoming a symbol of national resistance and sparked uprisings that have turned regions of the country into virtual war zones, blocking the mountainous roads that link Bolivia’s main cities and connect the country to its neighbors.

Through powerful imagery and insightful interviews with coca farmers, government officials, and experts on the drug trade, “Bolivia – Coca or Death” sheds light on a complex and fraught issue that has far-reaching implications for the people of Bolivia and the rest of the world.