Declaration of Lima 2012 over the Coca Leaf

From 11 to April 14, 2012 - Lima, Peru

The Third International Forum on the Coca Leaf: From the Andes to the World, after four days of deliberations and spiritual prayers to the spirit of nature and the company of brothers from Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and groups in Networks now exist in Europe, USA and Venezuela; ends meet but having done it again, brothers in affection for this plant to expose our studies show our experience in using it, recognize the importance of our identity, draw attention to the problems that affect sleep and to offer its benefits to the world.

The two previous forums, in the 2005 "A Week of Peace with the Coca Leaf" in Lima in 2006, "The Frontiers of Coca" in Buenos Aires marked the path of movement from the public and from civil keep alive the culture of our tradition with the coca leaf, providing ways of seeing issues with it are for health, food, political and enriching it with new findings from research, experience and use of future potential.

While this third forum starts raising the central problem that is presented to this plant from the ban in 1961 acullicu picchado or the United Nations, that impedes the development of the Andean own natural resource for the brother country of Bolivia is negotiating its review for the sake of the respect that all people have the right to exercise their cultural tradition even in the case of the Andean people for which this sheet is of her identity and ritual practice with nature.

Also, this Third Forum develops the contributions that are taking place in thinking about the fact that all our countries in the Coca Leaf is a central theme in our identity and our cultural values ​​from which, and not discussed in the academia, the development momentum is stronger.

Another important contribution has been going on food and nutrition research to strengthen the information that users must be due to the widespread consumption of coca flour and food products derived from it that has occurred in this field and also by the need to clarify some versions that put a veil of doubt on this practice food.Linked to this we have had in this forum with various business experiences of our countries that we offer a course through which continues to develop with this plant.

In the field of health research forum addresses the toxicology of the plant as to know as to provide users with evidence to clarify and defend its use either as a mate, like flour or food products in different areas required, providing the clarity of argument.

From national and international legal status is an analysis of what legislated in national visualizing what legislation is pending to order coca farmers and strengthen a climate of peace, legislation must be given with due care and analysis, also in the international field, we analyze the progress in the various forums such as the prohibition policies used and the limits of its effectiveness. It is time to develop and implement drug policy, ie substances and psychoactive plants, focusing on public health and human rights, based on empirical evidence and not ideology.

Policies to plants such as coca leaf deeply rooted in the culture of our Andean countries must demonstrate understanding of the cultural phenomenon and sensitivity to traditional uses and ancestral. In this regard we consider necessary for the law on drugs and public health, is this, administrative, criminal or constitutional must adapt to this fact and show cultural flexibility and proportionality.

After this analysis, the Third International Forum on the Coca Leaf invites the public and all who wish to join favor in relation to the Coca Leaf:

• Respect for their traditional use of ancestral root cause of our identity as Andean people. 
• Require the state to Congress through its Coca legislate law, according to the mandate of the Constitutional Court in previous years. 
• Create policies to support the investigation of this plant so important in the national and regional identity. 
• Work in building peace and sustainable development of coca growing regions. 
• Demand that our governments and the United Nations for the immediate withdrawal of the Coca Leaf from the list of banned substances. 
• Require governments of the Andean region and member countries of the United Nations to support the position of the Government of Bolivia in Defense of the Coca Leaf. 
• Regional exercise sovereignty on the issue of coca. 
• Search for regional areas where we can present the issue of revaluation of the coca leaf. 
• That the governments of the Andean region promote the use of coca leaf in nutrition programs, medicinal and ritual removing barriers to transit, trade, consumption of these products use beneficial to the population. 
• Urge our governments to multilateral settings such as the Summit of the Americas, UNASUR, the Andean Community, CELAC, and others to address the issue of Sheet Sheet holistically. 
• Be vigilant and informed in order to defend its traditional and medicinal food consumption and in any field. 

Lima, April 14, 2012