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Thousands on the march against
banana pesticides in Nicaragua

James Haywood

Over the last few months Managua, capital of Nicaragua, has seen thousands of farmers and their supporters camped outside the National Assembly building protesting against the use of the pesticide Nemagon in banana plantations across the country. In February, workers and those poisoned by the industrial pesticide began an 86 mile march from the region of Chinandega, where the bulk of Nicaragua’s banana plantations are based, to the capital and have been camped out since then, gaining wide publicity in the national press.

It is estimated that over 26,000 banana workers have been poisoned by Nemagon, a pesticide used to destroy microscopic worms that live in the roots of the trees. Just a few of the known side-effects of Nemagon (also known as Furmazone) include infertility, reoccurring migraines, kidney diseases, cancer and skin pigmentation. The US Environmental Protective Agency banned its use in 1979, yet it is still believed to be used throughout Central America, the Caribbean and the Philippines.

The march was called by the Association of Workers and Former Workers with Claims Against Nemagon and Furmazone (ASOTRAEXDAN), an organization set up to fight for compensation and legal action against the multinationals responsible for its production and use. Companies responsible for its manufacture include Shell Oil, Occidental Chemical and Dow Chemical; all US companies. Those companies known to use Nemagon are the Dole Food Company (called Nicaragua Standard Fruit in Nicaragua), Chiquita Brands (the notorious United Fruit Company) and Del Monte.

ASOTRAEXDAN held its first march in 1999, and has done so every year since. Throughout this fight the farmers have won some important gains. On January 11, 2001, a court ruling was won in the Nicaraguan National Assembly, which passed Law 364; this legislation laid the ground work for workers to sue US corporations.

Consequently, in December of the following year, the Nicaraguan Court ruled in favour of the banana workers and charged Dow Chemical, Shell Oil and the Dole Food Company to pay US$490 million to affected workers. The capitalists showed the same contempt of Nicaraguan courts as they did the US, and as of printing have yet to pay a cent. They are demanding the trial to be held in the United States.