Chapare province has become a haven for illegal cultivation of the coca plant, which can be used to produce cocaine. This is due to Bolivian drug law, which until recently only permitted the Yungas region to legally grow coca, despite Chapare being a historical area for growth due to its fertility. For this reason, Chapare has been a primary target for coca eradication in recent years, with frequent and heated clashes between the DEA and Bolivian cocaleros. The law has since been changed by a deal that was struck between Evo Morales (a coca activist) and former President Carlos Mesa. This deal permits the region to grow a limited amount of coca every year .
