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The American-led anti-drug campaign Posted: Sunday, March 9, 2003 by Oscar Heck I have just received a list of what appears to be facts regarding the USA and it involvement in Iraq and in other wars. One of the facts related to the USA's use of Agent Orange in Vietnam and another related to the assistance that the USA gave to Iraq in the development of its chemical weapons. In addition, there was mention that although the USA is supposedly attacking Iraq because of chemical and biological weapons, the USA apparently said nothing when Saddam Hussein supposedly killed thousands of Kurds with similar weapons. Why am saying all these things? Because, shortly after having read this list, I read Patrick J. O'Donoghue recent article, "Colombian narco-traffickers move poppy plantations to Venezuelan border badlands", and it brought up another element of great concern to me and hopefully to many others. I had read and heard that the USA (with the OK from local governments) is fumigating large areas of Colombia (and perhaps Bolivia and Ecuador) in an attempt to stop cultivation of drugs. Some of the information points to the strong possibility that the chemicals being used by the Americans are seriously harming the health of the people who live in those areas and that they are contaminating the environment (rivers, soil, etc.). I do not know if all this is true, and I have no interest in writing anti-American material, however (American or not) why is the use of potentially dangerous chemicals being allowed? (I have my own theories which I will not discuss here). If drug cultivation moves closer to the Venezuelan border, does this mean that the Americans will spray near the Venezuelan border as well? Contaminate Venezuela as well? Will Venezuela's water supply become contaminated? Will cancer become a concern? Can Venezuelans die from its effects? (Not to mention the many Colombians that may have already been exposed). Would the Americans use these chemicals in the USA? Have these chemicals been tested and approved for safety? I do not know the answers ... but perhaps someone out there knows which chemicals are being used and what are the long-term effects. Much of the media is spreading comments that Chavez is being un-collaborative with the American-led anti-drug campaign in north-western South America ... as if it were a crime not to collaborate. Would you collaborate with someone who, for example, says "it doesn't matter if we use dangerous chemicals to kill your neighbor's lawn, it isn't your home." What will happen to your neighbor's children? Their dog? An other question arises. What country is the greatest consumer of drugs? If I am not mistaken, it is the USA. Does this mean that since they cannot educate their own people to "not take drugs," they have to get rid of the drug growers while simultaneously potentially harming innocent people and contaminating someone else's home. What will they do to Canadians? Canada is considering decriminalizing marijuana? Will they have the same attitude with Venezuelans? I would greatly appreciate any true information about the chemicals that are being used and their effects. Perhaps, I will go down to the borders in question and collect some samples of the chemicals and have them analyzed as well. I sincerely hope that the politicians and bureaucrats (pro-Chavez or anti-Chavez) in Venezuela will strongly consider the long-term effects of any potential arrangement with the USA regarding the use of chemical "warfare." Que viva Venezuela sin contaminacion! |
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