Bolivia coca growers say they’ll contribute crop to help Morales’ re-election

Bolivia coca growers back Morales re-election

LA PAZ, Bolivia — A leader of coca growers in Central Bolivia says the farmers are putting their controversial crop behind President Evo Morales’ campaign for re-election.

Asterio Romero tells the government’s Patria Nueva radio station that each of his union’s 45,000 members will donate a pound of coca to help Morales in the December election. That works out to roughly $135,000.

The leftist Morales is Bolivia’s first Indian president and he rose to prominence as a leader of coca growers battling U.S. efforts to wipe out the crop, which is the raw material for cocaine.

The coca growers say the U.S. campaign is unjust because the crop is a traditional product used for centuries as a mild stimulant that cuts hunger and eases altitude sickness.