玻利维亚总统签署法律 合法种植古柯的土地面积翻倍

 

Bolivians have a new law that nearly doubles the amount of land where coca plants can be legally grown.

President Evo Morales signed the measure into law on Wednesday. “We want to guarantee coca supplies for life,” he said.

The measure raises the limit of coca crops Bolivian farmers can plant, from 12,000 hectares to 22,000 hectares.

Morales is a former coca farmer. He still leads a coalition¹ of coca farmers in Bolivia’s Chapare area.

Coca is the main ingredient in the drug cocaine².

The leaves of the coca plant have been used for many years in South America’s Andes Mountains in other ways. Coca can act like a stimulant³. People also use it to reduce feelings of hunger and to ease pain and tiredness.

When served as a drink, coca can prevent air sickness.

But it is best known as the main ingredient in a dangerous drug.

United States Drug Enforcement agents were working in Bolivia until Morales expelled them in 2008. He accused them of spying on him and helping⁴ the country’s opposition⁵.

“The United States just said that Bolivia and Venezuela failed in a demonstrable way in the war against drugs, Morales said during his speech Wednesday. “But the only things that can be demonstrated is that neither Bolivia or Venezuela can submit.”

Opposition lawmakers are denouncing the new coca law. They say it will increase cocaine production and increase groups of drug traffickers.

Some labor⁶ unions representing coca farmers also oppose the law. They say the crop grown in the Chapare area is not as good as that grown in what they call the “traditional regions.” They say it would instead be used in cocaine.

Words in This Story

stimulant –n. a substance that makes people feel more energetic

submit –v. to do something without resisting

regions –n. a part of a country that is different from other parts in some way

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

3 stimulant   

n.刺激物，兴奋剂

参考例句：

• It is used in medicine for its stimulant quality.由于它有兴奋剂的特性而被应用于医学。
• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。