por Erick Galindo

A Nicaraguan farmworker victim of poisoning from the Nemagon during a protest for justice held in Nicaragua. (PHOTO BY LINDA PANETA)

WHITTIER, Calif. — Joe García likes to tell stories — about his days running Republican Nelson Rockefeller’s presidential campaign `office in East Los Angeles, about how he and his father used to run chorizo up and down California, or just about growing up as a Mexican American who loved this country. As we sat in the Whittier restaurant that bears his name, Famous Joe’s Legendary Mexican Food, the 85-year-old Army veteran told one about when the big war and the draft came to the barrio following Dec. 7, 1941.

“I remember one guy. His mom made him go to Mexico, like my mom wanted me to do,” he says. “But I wanted to fight for my country and so did he. The guy came back from Mexico the very next day and enlisted in the Army. He died in our second day of combat.” García stands six feet tall in a gray suit that matches his hair. A smile shines through his wrinkled face as he talks about the  fellow Latinos with whomhe served during his threeyear Army stint, reminding me of William Faulkner’s words that the past is never dead or really even past.

“There were a lot of us that went be cause we were healthy and we wanted to fight for our country, And there were many of us who didn’t make it back. I was one of lucky ones,” he tells me. García was just 18 when he entered the service. As a paratrooper in the 503rd Airborne, he fought in battles throughout the Pacific. More than half a million Hispanics like him served during World War II. The number of Latino casualties isn’t recorded. They were counted as whites then, but only on the battlefield. Retired Navy veteran Gus Chávez of San Diego, who works with the U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral History Project at the University of Texas-Austin, had mentioned to me earlier, “Memorial Day has a special significance for Latino WWII veterans, especially for Mexican Americans.”

Chávez called the commemoration “a breaking point in moving forward to challenge the segregation and discrimination” that still awaited many of them on discharge. Pivotal was the refusal by a funeral home in Three Rivers, Texas, to bury a Mexican American soldier in the town’s all-white cemetery. Pvt. Félix Longoria had been killed in action in the South Pacific. Lyndon Johnson, then a member of Congress, took up the cause and arranged for Longoria to be interred in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., where some of the nation’s most renowned military heroes rest. The incident led to the formation of the American GI Forum in 1948 by Mexican-American veterans. It remains an active civil rights organization. Restaurateur García continues our conversation, recalling, “It’s also been tough as a Mexican-American businessman.”

After the war, he became active politically while founding, building and eventually selling two multimillion-dollar businesses in Southern California, El Rey Mexican Food Co. and Reynaldo’s Mexican Food. The latter, a $25-million revenue maker, was sold in 2007 for about $12 million. A first-generation U.S. citizen, García was born in El Paso, Texas. But it was in Central California that he learned the trade as a child

working with his father.

­“There wasn’t anyone sellingauthentic cratic political candidates, helping to elect some of the first Latino officeholders in this state, including the late Congressman Edward Roybal. García fought for inclusion of Latinos in the public consciousness. He takes pride in having ensured that his three children had opportunities equal to those of any other kids. In the ’60s, he launched Mas Gráfica, a  pioneering bilingual magazine that incorporated Latinos in politics, business, sports, entertainment and fashion. To this day, García wears a pin on his lapel to commemorate those who fought in the big war.

“For Americans of Mexican descent, back then there was nothing. They didn’t even expect us to go to college.” He recalls his high school days when the counselor told Hispanics not to bother taking college prep classes. “She told us to take the courses that would prepare us for a life of manual labor.” Recently, one of his grandsons, who had studied economics at Notre Dame, earned his MBA at Stanford. Joe smiled his widest smile as he concluded, “I went to his graduation, and, boy, was that something!”

(Erick Galindo, formerly an editor with Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C., now reports for the Pasadena Star- News in California. His email is erick.geee@gmail.com)

by Neev M. Arnell

Natural News

Regulators have known since 1980 that Roundup, the herbicide manufactured by U.S. company Monsanto, causes birth defects, and have done nothing to make the information public, according to a new report released June 7 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/…).

The report, “Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being kept in the dark?” by Earth Open Source, found that regulators knew the chemical on which Roundup is based, glyphosate, can cause birth defects in laboratory animals. Earth Open Source is an organization that aims to use open source collaboration to engage people in programs that help nourish humanity, increase equity, support food security, and preserve the Earth. Regulators also misled the public about the safety of the chemical, according to the report. In one instance, the German Federal Offi ce for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, the German government body handling the glyphosate review, told the European Commission there was no evidence the chemical causes birth defects.

This is not the fi rst instance of accusations against the world’s best-selling herbicide. Earlier this year, researchers found that genetically modifi ed crops used in conjunction with Roundup contain a pathogen that may cause animal miscarriages. Don Huber, professor  emeritus at Purdue University, wrote an open letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack regarding the newly discovered pathogen,  in which he requested a moratorium on deregulation of crops that are genetically modifi ed to withstand heavy applications of Roundup, commonly called Roundup Ready crops.

“It is well-documented that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already  implicated with the increase of more than 40 plant diseases,” Huber said in the letter, adding that the pathogen is implicated in spontaneous abortions in cattle at rates as high as 45 percent. The situation could be catastrophic according to Huber’s letter: “A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my attention ­the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup  Ready (RR) soybeans and corn — suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science!

This is highly sensitive information that could result in a collapse of U.S. soy and corn export markets and signifi cant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies. On the other hand, this new organism may already be responsible for signifi cant harm … Naturally, if either the RR gene or Roundup itself is a promoter or co-factor of this pathogen, then [approval of RR alfalfa] could be a calamity. Based on the current evidence, the only reasonable action at this time would be to delay deregulation …

For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and military agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based on this experience, I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high risk status. In layman’s terms, it should be treated as an emergency.”

by the El Reportero’s news services

Raúl Castro

On 9 June the Cuban authorities announced the conviction of a deputy minister and 10 other senior officials for corruption. Taken with another development this week, the verdicts demonstrate that President Raúl Castro is prepared to let reform have its head.

The other major development this week is Castro’s apparent instigation of a competition between China and Venezuela over the expansion of the country’s key Cienfuegos oil refinery: this move suggests that Cuban officials will have to make decisions based on the evaluation of competing proposals and a judgment of execution-risk. This will be novel for a politicallydriven economic system.

Humala promises consensual change after sealing Peru win

Ollanta Humala will become the 94th president of Peru on 28 July. Humala defeated Keiko Fujimori in a desperately close contest on 5 June, but which Humala will voters get? The radical reformer of 2006 or the moderate consensus-builder of 2011? His victory speech strongly implied the latter.

His decision to head off on 8 June on a foreign tour of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and, intriguingly, Chile, rather than Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, was designed to suggest the same. His cabinet appointments in the coming weeks will provide further clues. What is clear is that Lima will not be the axis of Peruvian politics for the next five years, and that the poorer, more  marginalised voters in rural regions, where social conflicts abound, will have high expectations of what their champion can deliver.

H o n d u r a s – B a c k t o t h e f u t u re

On 1 June the Organization of American States (OAS) lifted its suspension of Honduras, imposed after the June 2009 coup d’état against the former president Manuel Zelaya (2006-2009).

President Porfirio Lobo of Honduras, who secured a face-saving deal on the eve of the second anniversary of the coup to end the country’s diplomatic pariah status,  was triumphant. Though the nine-point ‘Accord for the National Reconciliation and Consolidation of the Democratic System of the Republic of Honduras (‘The Cartagena Accord’) reads like a list of provisions to ensure the political future of Zelaya, who returned to Honduras on 28 May after a 16 month exile  in the Dominican Republic,President Lobo himself may seek to reap the main political benefit ahead of the next scheduled general elections in November 2013.

Why Ecuador matters

President Rafael Correa of Ecuador is one the region’s most intriguing politicians. He is also one of the most ambitious and ruthless. The most effective critics of his administration are almost all his former close allies. Ministers who fail to deliver are dumped unceremoniously, reinforcing the image of Correa as a man with a mission. Significantly, important members of Correa’s administration are now starting to argue that their ­vision, especially on economic and environmental issues, has implications beyond Ecuador. The Bolivian government has confirmed Sunday  the region’’s supportto its demand for a sovereign outlet to the Pacific Ocean, which Bolivia lost to Chile in a war in 1879.

In statements to the “The People’s News” program, in the state-run “Patria Nueva” (New Homeland) radio network, Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca,  said that this was one of the main agreements of the most recent General Assembly of the Organization of American States  (OAS), held in El Salvador.Choquehuanca said that since 1979, the OAS issued resolutions requiring Chile and Bolivia to solve the maritime dispute.

Seek justice after being poisoned

by Kaitlyn Moore

Dow, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, DuPont, and Monsanto form an agrichemical conglomerate that manufacture some of the most dangerous chemicals in the world. (http://www.panna.org/issues/pesticides-profit/chemical-cartel)

Third world countries tend to be the most susceptible to the witches brew of chemicals. Twenty-five percent of the world’s pesticides are used in third world countries and it this is where over 99 percent of pesticide related deaths occur.

Workers have discovered the hard way that almost every chemical they work with is a danger to their well-being and that of their families. Even when not in use, old containers of pesticides are often improperly stored underground. This slowly contaminates the local eco-system and the bodies of the workers whose labor allows the chemical and food industries to reap in billions in profits.

It is estimated that over 50,000 tons of these stockpiles are all over the African continent and a   variety of Asian and Latin American countries as well. In fact, there are certain areas in the South Pacific and Costa Rica that can never be farmed again due to the level of soil contamination. On a daily basis these workers are exposed to some of the most dangerous toxins in the world.

Chemicals commonly used and their effects Fruit companies use chemicals at almost every stage of growing. Fertilizers are used to keep the soil fertile, herbicides to keep the growing area vegetation free, nematicides to  protect roots from damage, fungicides to prevent damaging fungi. Chemicals are even used during the packing process. (http://members.tripod.com/foro_emaus/BanPlantsCA.htm).

In most plantations, workers are not provided with or cautioned to wear protective safety gear. Workers are potentially exposed to a virtual Molotov cocktail of chemicals on a daily basis. This exposure without protection is a large contributor to the high rates of negative health effects.

One of the most infamous, Dibromo-chloro-propane (DBCP) is also known as Nemagon. In the 1950’s companies that manufactured the chemical and the federal government were aware of this nematicides chromosome disrupting  properties but still approved it for use. In 1977, after a group of factory workers in California were discovered to be sterile after working with DBCP, it was outlawed in the U.S. Dole, however, continued to use the chemical until December of 1978. The United Nations  Environmental Programme presented a case study on Nemagon lawsuits. “I was 21 years old, what did I know? Nobody told us anything.

For two years, I applied Nemagon without mask, gloves, or protecting clothing. You pump it directly into the ground. Sometimes, the pressure made the liquid splash right in your face. You could feel the hideous smell across 100 meters” stated a banana plantation worker interviewed for the study. Nemagon has been connected to headaches, male sterility, nausea, cancer, and damage to the stomach, lungs, kidneys, brain, spleen, eyes, blood, and liver.

Other toxins often used in fruit plantations are Timex, ­Paraquat, and Parathion. One of the primary ingredients in Timex, is Aldicarb. The EPA classifies Aldicarb as one of the most acutely toxic pesticides registered. (http://www.pesticide.org/get-thefa…)  it has been tied to immune system abnormality, stillbirths and tumors. Paraquat, a herbicide, can cause death with one teaspoonful if ingested. It can also cause permanent lung damage, skin blistering and ulcers, necrosis, temporary loss of nails, dermal burns, nose bleeds, loss of eyesight, liver/kidney/heart failure, and lung scarring.

The neurotoxin Parathion is used as an insecticide that can cause sweating, dizziness, convulsion, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, central nervous system depression, paralysis, coma, and death. (http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/h l t h e f / p a r a t h i o . h t m l )

From Costa Rica to Nicaragua, to Guatemala, the Honduras, Africa and beyond farm workers have been suffering from the effects of exposure to these chemicals. Employees and their families are effected either by direct contact or a result of environmental contamination of the soil and groundwater. The men and women on these plantations suffer from sterility, miscarriages, depression,  cancer, skin infections- basically the host of symptoms associated with the chemicals they work with and are sprayed with every day.

In 2005 Nicaraguan workers had enough. Over 25,000 of them marched on their capital in protest of the abuses. Soon thereafter the law was changed allowed workers to sue the corporations responsible (Dow, Dole, and Shell) for compensation for their injuries.

Workers filed and won a class action suit and were awarded $490 million dollars in damages. Over 16,000 banana plantation workers from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Philippines in Texas filed a similar class action. In that case Amvac, Dow, Occidental, and Shell settled for $41.5 million. (http://www.opticalrealities.org/Central-America/Nicaragua/Nemagon-Survivors/10317166_L z e v s # 7 1 3 0 6 0 5 6 4 )

These multi-national companies go from country to country leaving heartache, pain, and death behind.

They target countries with large numbers of poor, no labor organization, and unstable governments easily controlled and corrupted by money. When that doesn’t work they exercise their political muscle on this side of the world to get cases thrown out and awards overturned.

It seems as if for now the bad guys are winning, over 40 lawsuits have been filed  and if a settlement is not reached they have all been dismissed. The only way to stop these travesties is to wholly support the organic movement- no chemicals, no death, no problems. A simple solution, but for the greed that runs rampant it would be the only solution.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032683_N i c a r a g u a _ N e m a g o n .h t m l # i x z z 1 P 7 s Y H U c I