Bolivia Laws

Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in all of South America. In many ways the people rely on coca, a plant used to stabilize health for the Bolivian people, and mining, and industry that has brought great fortune to the country. Natural resources is the only means of international profit for the country legally. Laws however determine how both industries are managed, and as of late both have becoming decreasingly profitable. Laws have eradicated the production of coca, because many of these situations lead to the growing and selling of cocaine to places like the United States and Peru.

Currently drug trafficking is a major problem is Bolivia and the law states that all growing, and or trafficking is prohibited within the region. However, this becomes a problem when the countries own president has owned a coca farm in the past, and made profit from it. The drug trafficking laws in Bolivia are not the same as those in the United States, and cocaine in particular is smuggle through the country on a regular basis. This is so because cocaine, whether produced in Bolivia or Peru must travel through Bolivia to reach areas like the United States. The coca plant which is used for entirely different purposes is being cut off, and a great deal of income for the Bolivian people is being taken away because of laws prohibiting it. The problems for Bolivia come from the International realm more than the national. Law concerning the National Drug Control Policy prohibit drug trafficking and demand the eradication of it.

Mining law is perhaps even more detrimental to the overall wealth of the country. This is so because Mining is an industry that cannot be conducted in the underground like the drug industry can. See, the difference here is that the mining industry is a legitimate source of income for the country where as drug trafficking becomes an industry that is cheated through smuggling efforts. Nevertheless, laws implemented to regulate the mine industries have done more harm than good, making it hard for these types of businesses to run. Laws on mining include the absolute requirement for all material produced whether gold, or silver be property of the state. This law makes it hard for mining owners to profit off of any of the minerals made and found. Often times this law puts restriction on trade and keeps government in control to make all decision regarding the business. This law leaves many of the workers poor, and forces the owners to abandon the business only for them to be rerouted to the government for them to make a profit. Many of these minors abandon their businesses so that they can escape a fee laced by government for production failure. Both the mining industry and drug industry laws keep the people of Bolivia in captivity economically. There is very little room for anyone to make money in these sectors if they are not government officials. The worst part of all of it is because of international law, other countries such as the United States can get involved and make it harder for the country to trade as a whole.