I’m Miguel Centellas, a political science professor at Mount St. Mary’s University. Because of academic interests, I post frequently on Bolivian politics. I also occasionally discuss interesting books, pop culture, and daily life in Baltimore.
There’s a big brouhaha over Chavez’s recent statement that he chews coca.
Of course, he probably chews coca leaves, which are harmless. Well, not “harmless,” but probably no worse than chewing tobacco or drinking large quantities of coffee. Chewing coca is a frequent pastime of many indigenous Andean peoples.
But Chávez claimed that Evo sends him coca paste. See the YouTube video where he ways “Evo sends me coca paste” (“Evo me manda pasta de coca”).
Clearly, I hope Chávez doesn’t really chew coca paste. Since, you know, that would be deadly (coca paste is unrefined cocaine). I’m sure he wanted to express solidarity w/ Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales. In his speech, he also mentions that Cuba’s Fidel often sends him gifts (apparently Cuba is an exporter of ice cream). But I’m confused as to why Chávez is so unaware of the difference between coca paste & coca leaves, since he claims to be a consumer of the product.
If he is indeed referring to the leaf, maybe he's thinking of that lime mush that the locals put in their mouth, along with the leaves, when they're chewing it?
Posted by
Frank IBC
January 21, 2008 8:35 PM
Probably. I just found the whole thing bizarre. I especially like the bit where he sort of has to make everyone clap after the line about how it was a "gift". It was gift (silence), you know a gift (oh! clapping time!). I'm glad I don't live in Venezuela, but he's certainly fun to watch (the idea of a television talk show host as president is both creepy & fascinating).
The few times I've watched Alo Presidente, it was surreal, like watching a movie, where the villain makes jokes or pronouncements and a nervous laughter or applause comes from his toadies.
Posted by
galloglass
January 22, 2008 2:24 PM
If you want to see a great example of nervous applause, or perhaps I should say "scared-s***less applause", watch this video of Joseph Stalin speaking.
Posted by
Frank IBC
January 22, 2008 3:36 PM
You wrote: "Of course, he probably chews coca leaves, which are harmless. Well, not “harmless,” but probably no worse than chewing tobacco or drinking large quantities of coffee."
You forget to mention any beneficial attributes of coca. Because of its criminalized status, few authoritative studies have been conducted. A Harvard study from the 70s found that coca containts high levels of vitamin "A," iron and protein making it an ideal dietary compliment for poor Bolivians who cannot afford to eat meat frequently. It is also proven to assist the blood's absorbtion of oxygen and provides other altitude sickness mitigating effects. Lest we forget it is also a soothes the upset stomach and PMS. Your comparisons to chewing tobacco and drinking large quanities of coffee are odd, but if you want to toss out another one you could say it is less harmful than drinking large quantities of coca-cola. (Coca also has properties that prevent tooth decay, unlike the high processed and sugar infused western beverage.) Your summary that "Chewing coca is a frequent pastime of many indigenous Andean peoples" is straight-up racist and inaccurate.
Posted by
Michael Shanks
January 25, 2008 7:43 PM
Michael:
There is evidence that coca has positive medicinal properties (hence my claim that it was "harmless") ... but also evidence that it has negative health effects (e.g. high alkaloid content). My comparison to tobacco or coffee were along those lines (one could include wine: is a glass good/bad for you?).
I'm not interested in debating the merits of coca, since I'm not a biochemist nor a health & medicine research scientist. I'll leave that to experts.
That coca chewing is a "frequent pastime" of "many" (certainly not all, not even necessarily a majority) of Andean indigenous people is neither racist nor inaccurate. Having spent extensive time in Bolivia, it's clear that many, many, many Andean indigenous people chew coca (which very few mestizos or whites do, in comparison). The fact that there's a very healthy (and legal!) coca market throughout the region (most of it for chewing, not for tea) is a testament to that.
If you want some information on coca, try Bolivia's own Museo de la Coca (Coca Museum) website. It's in the Sagarnaga district (actually, I happened to be part owner of a bar-peña in the same tambo).
