Since 1996, Evo has held the position of president of the Coordinating
Committee of the Six Federations of the Tropics of Cochabamba.
A fellow union member, Alex Contreras, says, "In contrast
to other leaders, Evo, in every activity - no matter how small
- proved he could dedicate himself like none other."
"I believe that my only full time occupation, one hundred
percent, my true passion in the last 19 years has been, and
is, the defense of the coca leaf, the soil and the territory,
but now also the defense of natural resources, the rights of
the country's poor and exploited, the thousands of workers and
unemployed, the refoundation of our homeland, the defense of
national sovereignty and life itself."
His
union activities were not looked upon favorably by the ruling
parties. While they, pressured by Washington, were trying
to erradicate the coca leaf, coca farmers for their part were
lobbying to defend their right to cultivate the plant.
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They
found him in the bushes..
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Consequently,
during his union career, Evo got to know jail, confinement
and torture. In 1989, when Evo was paying homage to companions
who had fallen in the defense of the coca leaf, UMOPAR
forces beat him savagely and dumped him in the bushes,
thinking he was dead. Far from scaring the coca farmers,
the continued persecution revitalized their fighting spirit.
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"On
more than one occasion, especially when I was imprisoned,
I heard through my means of communication a phrase that came
from the heart of society: 'In the Chapare, there are thousands
of Evos.'"
To
reinforce their demands, the coca farmers, with Evo leading
the way, marched the 600 kilometers that separate Cochabamba
from La Paz. Attacked at first by law enforcement officers,
the coca farmers deceived them, going around their control
posts. The closer the coca farmers got to the capital, the
more people took to the streets to encourage the marchers,
offering them drinks, food, clothes and shoes. They arrived
in La Paz to the cheers of the inhabitants and were invited
to negociate an accord with the authorities, who had no other
choice in the wake of such wide enthusiasm.
Once
the coca farmers had returned to the Tropics of Cochabamba
and calm had been restored to the country, the authorities
forgot about their accord so full of promises and returned
to sending forces to harrass the settlers. "I have
had difficult moments in Eterazama (1997), where a DEA (Drug
Enforcement Agency of the USA) helicopter strafed and there
were five dead in minutes." "In the headquarters
of Human Rights, in Villa Tunari (2000), there was an intent
to fill me with bullets, but it failed, the bullet only grazed
me."
The
coca farmers' struggle and their march for respect and dignity
made news past the borders of Bolivia. For being the leader
of a non-violent movement against the War on Drugs, an international
coalition of politicians and academics against this war nominated
Evo as a 'Drugs Pacifist' for the Nobel Peace Prize of 1995
and 1996.
Then
Evo set his sights outside Bolivia. Suddenly he could obtain
assistance from overseas, particularly in Europe. It's there
where he travelled, together with other coca farmers from
the Tropics of Cochabamba, the Yungas, Peru and Colombia.
They went in wave after wave. They campaigned in defense of
the coca leaf, against the anti-drug politicians who don't
distinguish between coca and cocaine.
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