Radio Mundo Real

“Stop spraying us” was the slogan used in late November by Argentinean organizations that mobilized in the city of Guernica, Buenos Aires province.

They gathered to expose the cultivation of genetically modified soy in Las Lomas and Santa Teresita neighborhoods, which is fumigated with highly toxic herbicides, such as glyphosate commercialized by Monsanto.

“These herbicides affect human health, they cause different kinds of health problems such as breathing problems, eye irritation, skin diseases, vomiting, abortions, malformations, diarrhea and cancer. We are being poisoned by these herbicides”, read the call to mobilize.

Julian and Romina are part of cultural project “The Others”, which is part of Coordinadora Ambiental Sur. They submitted their case in the panel “The advance of agribusiness on territories, climate and life”.

They explained that the demands of the affected neighbors became public in a course on organic farming where they exposed the death of animals, and they said plants were not growing. They also reported illnesses.

From then onwards, the Coordinator began distributing flyers and putting posters in the streets and organizing the first demonstrations.
“Mobilizing people is difficult” said Julian before explaining that there is a municipal rule passed two years ago that banned air spraying less than 500 from urban areas.

“The truth is that the rule is not enforced and the municipality is doing nothing”, said the leader of the Coordinator, which has been organizing a campaign to collect signatures to lift the rule because “it is not rendering any results”.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/f3rcho/