Week 15—History of Latin America
Cocaine as Commodity
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I. The Development of Cocaine, 1860-1910

- 1860, German 'discovery' of cocaine = primary alkaloid in coca leaves
- Merck; Parke, Davis & Co.
- 1890-1902, 700% increase in supply
- 'ethical' and 'patent' uses:

Leibig's Coca Beef Tonic
Maltine with Coca
Lambert's Wine of Coca with Peptonate Iron and Extract of Cod Liver Oil

Vin Mariani
French Wine Coca
Coca-Cola

- Peruvian cocaine sulfate paste (cocaína bruta)
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1890-1905, Peru is leading world supplier

II. Transitions, 1910-1940

- U.S. anti-cocaine movement
- U.S.-led intl. efforts, treaties
- Asian competition

III. The Ilicit Trade, 1940-1980

- post-WWII, Peru the world's sole remaining cocaine source
- 1948, Peru criminalizes cocaine (Gen. Manuel Odría)
- shifts in:

Production (to Bolivia, Amazon jungle)
Processing (Chile, Colombia)
Managers (Cuba, Colombia, Mexico)
Routes (Florida, Mexican-US border, Central America)

- increase in demand, Border Patrol confiscates:

1960, 6 lbs
1963, 15 lbs
1967, 26 lbs
1969, 52 lbs
1971, 436 lbs
1973, 1000+ lbs

- 1992, Peru's production = 1000+ tons

500-800 tons delivered to U.S. per year
+/- 50 billion per year