Last month, the White House called out Bolivia for “failing demonstrably” to comply with international anti-drug agreements for the seventh year in a row. Out of the 22 nations labeled major players in the global drug trade, Bolivia, the only country that permits nationwide legal coca cultivation, was also the only one denied U.S. State Department-managed anti-narcotics aid for the second year in a row. The White House claims it cut funding “due to a lack of sufficient cooperation from the Bolivian government.” While evidence suggests the country might be becoming a bigger player in the international drug trade, the determination has more to do with politics than actual coca cultivation or amount of cocaine trafficked…

This piece was co-authored with Angelika Albaladejo. Read it in its entirety at Security Assistance Monitor.