Morales Warns against US Blackmail
A warning against US blackmail regarding the fight against drugs accompanied on Wednesday Bolivia"s demand against an announced cut in US assistance to fight drug trafficking.

Urging the US Administration of George W. Bush to refrain from cutting its aid, President Evo Morales said the anti-drug issue cannot be a pretext for Washington or any other country to try control, put conditions on or blackmail his government.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Bolivia David Greenlee tried to play down the reduction, from 93.2 million dollars to 80 million dollars, claiming it is yet to be decided. He hinted at the possibility of increasing the aid as long as the Bolivian government complies with certain regulations.

Greenlee cited conditions including wiping out coca crops, a sort of Washington"s obsession, which has been ruled out by the new popular government in its all-out anti-drug trafficking strategy.

The new line could have saved many lives and conflicts if it had been applied more than ten years ago, as coca growers demanded, recalled Morales, a coca leader himself, against whom a US-liked anti-drug policy was applied for decades.

Morales warned that if US collaboration is reduced, it may be understood that the US do not agree with the Bolivian government target of wiping out drug trafficking in Evo Morales" five-year term.

He confirmed that the new strategy is no longer "coca zero" as Washington says, but rather "cocaine and drug trafficking zero", which means to hunt and put a stop to drug traffickers, but respecting farmers.

In this regard, Morales appointed coca leader Felipe Caceres as Deputy Minister in charge of Anti-Drug Fight and Felix Barra as Deputy Minister for Alternative Development, a body created some time ago to promote the replacement of coca crops.