Nemagon? Thats Bananas.

Today we visited a protesting community of Nicaraguan banana workers who were affected by the chemical nemagon. In the 1970s, large banana corportations such as Dole and Chiquita Banana sprayed their banana farms with nemagon, a fertilizer that is poisonous to everything expect banana trees. These corporations were fully aware that it had been banned by the EPA 20 years prior but used it anyway without telling its workers. The chemical causes 4 different types of cancer, chronic renal problems, sterility, skin lesions, hair and teeth loss, among other problems. 2518 workers have died from it so far and many are on their finals days. There are now 600 workers who live on the site they set up in front of the National Assembly. They have been legally fighting for financial compensation from the corporations to pay for medical bills and much needed medical attention for the past 18 years. Due to a tainted image from a few ill Nicaraguans falsely testifying that they had worked in the fields and general corruption within the government and legal systems, the corporations claimed that these people were just out for money. The corporations were found not guilty and the case was dismissed in U.S. courts. The bottom line is that these enormous corporations just dont want to own up to the millions and millions of dollars they rightfully owe to their workers. The three workers who spoke to us were not bitter with the U.S. government, for they understand the corporations for what they are. Fortunately, there has been some media coverage from a previous delegation and a recent documentary called, Bananas, but the workers still have not received a penny. There is little hope that the corporations will take responsibility for their inhumane decisions anytime soon but the persevering spirit of of the workers deserves much admiration.