Thousands of Bolivians gathered in several cities to chew the coca leaf, a sacred local plant that became the raw material for cocaine, whose original right to grow they defend, arguing that in its natural state it is not a drug, writes Agerpres.

The main demonstration took place in the country’s capital, La Paz, in the presence of President Luis Arce, who chewed coca leaves surrounded by coca growers.

“This is a national priority. We launched a campaign to declassify coca leaves as a drug,” said Luis Arce.

On this day, Acullico (that’s chewing coca in the Quechua language), the head of state promised to promote the use of the plant in medicine and in the production of liqueurs, cakes, chewing gum, soap and other products.

It is believed that the juice from chewing the leaves quenches hunger and eliminates fatigue.

“In every corner of Bolivia, even among the middle class, we chew coca every day,” Mary Villalba, one of the leaders of coca producers, told AFP.

Since 1961, the coca leaf has been classified as a prohibited substance because it is a raw material for the production of cocaine.

Bolivia is considered the third largest producer of cocaine in the world

In 2013, Bolivia, a country with a majority of indigenous peoples, allowed the chewing of coca leaves for ancestral and medicinal purposes on its territory. As such, Acullico is no longer under sanctions in Bolivia under international law.

The coca leaf law allows 20,000 hectares to be grown for domestic consumption. However, in its latest report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated the cultivated area at almost 30,000 hectares, insisting that some of the production contributes to the drug trade.

According to the UN, Bolivia is considered the third producer of cocaine in the world after Peru and especially Colombia.