Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Bolivian police seized 5 tons of cocaine worth $300 million this week, in the largest narcotics roundup in the country’s history. The biggest part of the two-day haul—3 tons—was found mixed in with a shipment of instant mashed potatoes bound for Spain. Two dozen people were arrested. “This is only the beginning,” said a government minister. Bolivia has made considerable headway in the drug war by eradicating thousands of acres of coca, the plant used to make cocaine, in a crackdown largely funded by the U.S. But drug traffickers have regrouped recently, and farmers have begun resisting government agents who come to hack down their plants.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in RussiaSpeed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
