From gmwatch (glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, a
Monsanto product):
NOTE: For more about Professor Andrés Carrasco and his research, which
found that glyphosate caused birth defects in frogs even in very low
concentrations:
http://bit.ly/ZsLBV
---
---
Argentina: Threats deny community access to research
Amnesty International
12 August 2010
http://bit.ly/cJsqUR
On 7 August, violence and threats in the remote northern Argentinian town
of La Leonesa stopped community activists hearing a talk by a renowned
scientist about his findings of the health impact of chemicals sprayed on rice
and soya crops.
On Saturday 7 August, community activists from La Leonesa, a small town
located within an area of large scale rice production in the Argentinian
Chaco Department, went to attend a talk that was to be given by Professor
Andres Carrasco, a scientist and doctor from the Buenos Aires University Medical
School. A delegation of two provincial deputies, a former public official
and members of the neighbouring community of Resistencia also came to La
Leonesa to hear the talk. Professor Andres Carrasco's research, concluded in
2009, highlighted the negative effects of glyphosate, a commonly-used
agro-chemical, on embryos.
On arrival in La Leonesa at around 4pm, the delegation headed for the
school where the talk was due to take place. However, the talk was suspended
because the delegation was attacked by a group of around 100 people who
threatened them and beat them. One person has since suffered from lower body
paralysis after being hit on his spine, and another is undergoing neurological
examinations after receiving blows to the head. The former provincial
Sub-Secretary of Human Rights, Marcelo Salgado, was struck in the face and left
unconscious. Dr Carrasco and his colleague shut themselves in a car, and
were surrounded by people making violent threats and beating the car for two
hours. Members of the community were injured and a journalist's camera
equipment was damaged.
Members of the community who witnessed the incident have implicated local
officials in the attack, as well as a local rice-producer and his workers
and security guards. They strongly believe that the violence was promoted by
them, and motivated by the powerful economic interests behind local
agro-industry. Despite calls to local authorities asking for help, the police
were slow to respond and failed to send sufficient reinforcements to stop the
violence.
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Spanish or your own language:
*Call for an impartial investigation of the violence in La Leonesa on 7
August and prosecution of all those responsible, with particular focus on the
possible involvement of local authorities in instigating or encouraging
the violence and/or failing to prevent or halt violence by third parties;
*Call for swift action to ensure the safety and security of the residents
of La Leonesa and neighbouring communities;
*Urge local authorities to protect the right to freedom of information and
expression in order to allow the communities living in agro-industrial
areas to seek, receive and disseminate information, including in public
forums, around the possible effects of widespread spraying of crops;
*Where credible evidence regarding the negative health impact of spraying
of agro-chemicals exists, health authorities must carry out monitoring and
investigations in line with their responsibility to respect the right to
health.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 22 SEPTEMBER 2010 TO:
Sr. Gobernador
Jorge Milton Capitanich
Gobierno del Pueblo de la Provincia del Chaco, Marcelo T. Alvear 145
Resistencia, Chaco
CP3500, Argentina
Fax: +54 9 3722 434 202
Email: [log in to unmask]
Salutation: Sr. Gobernador
Minister of Interior
Cdr. Aníbal Florencio Randazzo
25 de Mayo 101/145
C1002ABC – Buenos Aires
Argentina
Fax: +54 11 4345 3336
Email: [log in to unmask]
Salutation: Sr. Ministro
And copies to:
Dr Juan Luis Manzar
Ministro de Salud
Av. 9 de Julio 1925
Cdad. Aut. de Buenos Aires
C1073ABA
Fax: 00 54 11 4381 6075
Email: [log in to unmask]
Salutation: Sr. Ministro
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.
Check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
URGENT ACTION
THREATS DENY COMMUNITY ACCESS TO RESEARCH
ADditional Information
In April 2009, Dr Andres Carrasco finalised his 15-month study into the
impact of glyphosate, a herbicide commonly used on soya and rice crops. His
findings pointed at the negative effects of glyphosate- in doses much lower
than those used in agro-industry- on the morphology of embryos. His
findings provoked a hostile media campaign aimed at undermining the legitimacy of
his findings, and he received anonymous threats.
Activists, lawyers and health workers in areas of Argentina where
agro-industry and glyphosate spraying are widespread have started to conduct their
own studies, registering cases of foetal malformations and increased cancer
rates in local hospitals. To date, no systematic epidemiological study of
these reported phenomena has been carried out by State authorities.
................................................................
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