Bolivia rejects U.S. allegations of anti-drug war failure

Xinhua

text

Bolivia rejected Tuesday U.S. allegations of its failure in combating drug trafficking and production, describing the report which accused Bolivia of non-fulfillment of anti-drug agreements as "unilateral" and biased.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday presented the annual State Department report on anti-drug war to Congress, which states Bolivia, Venezuela and Myanmar "did not fulfill their commitments against the international trafficking and production of drugs" over the past year.

"Obama is mistaken" about Bolivia, and he wanted to change people's mind for electoral reasons, Bolivian President Evo Morales said at an official event in southern Tarija department.

Bolivia is expected to hold elections in mid-October to elect a new president and legislators.

Morales said Washington did not provide "even a dollar" to Bolivia's anti-drug efforts this year and had failed to fulfill its own obligations in the war.

He also said there was "good news" in the report, as the United States for the first time acknowledged his country has made some headway in eradicating illegal coca crops used for cocaine production.