Villa Fatima coca market. (60 images)

Villa Fatima's market is the largest legal coca market in Bolivia. According to several official sources between 49,6 tons and 3,7 tons are sold daily. The gap in the numbers is due to the institution that gives the information, or the fear that some leaders have of speaking about the real coca that is sold in the market.

It is located within the city of La Paz, near the road to Los Yungas and surrounded by homes, schools and parks. All of the coca leaves sold here comes from...
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Villa Fatima's market is the largest legal coca market in Bolivia. According to several official sources between 49,6 tons and 3,7 tons are sold daily. The gap in the numbers is due to the institution that gives the information, or the fear that some leaders have of speaking about the real coca that is sold in the market.

It is located within the city of La Paz, near the road to Los Yungas and surrounded by homes, schools and parks. All of the coca leaves sold here comes from Los Yungas.

Los Yungas is the traditional area of cultivation, where coca has been grown for more than seven centuries. Today it is estimated that there are more than 33,500 coca growers in Los Yungas and they all have the obligation to sell their production in Villa Fatima.

Everything in the market is controlled. The coca is allowed to be sold in bags of 50 pounds and under supervision of DIGCOIN, the government's institution that take control of the production. In addition ADEPCOCA , the association of coca growers of La Paz, is responsible for the safety inside the market, takes care of the quality of coca and the prices and watch that only coca growers and sellers with authorization go inside the market.

Available in: http://archive.4seephoto.com
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