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INFORME ALTERNATIVO SOBRE LA SALUD EN AMERICA LATINAEdgardo Schider, founder and president of theArgentinean Society of Environmental Medicine, explainedthat health issues caused by exposure to environmentaltoxin usually have two elements: predisposingand unleashing causes. In this case, the exposureto pesticides was the unleashing element.The predisposingelement was the fact that the district was constructedin an insalubrious place, where there had beenno urban planning and where people had drunk intoxicantwater for 40 years.This produced an accumulativeeffect. He also added: "here we are witnessingsomething that already appeared in some developedcountries, what has been named the zone of ecologicalor environmental catastrophe".Those AffectedThe Group of Mothers of the Annexed ItuzaingoDistrict, consisting of approximately 5.000 people, havedocumented the different incidences of illness. Studieswere conducted by group member that went homeby home and listed all the know cases of illness.Atfirst it was a list of 28 sick people in a radius of 400 m.However, more documented cases of individuals withcancer appear as more time passes.Those ResponsibleThe following groups have been identified by TheGroup of Mothers as wholly or partially responsiblefor the environmental catastrophe in the Annexed ItuzaingoDistrict that has left so many people seriouslyill with cancer or other life threatening ailments.1.The Municipality of Córdoba, which allowed the urbansettlement to exist in an area where there is extensivecultivation. The Municipality should have enforcedthe ordinance that prohibits fumigation within2.500m of residential areas.2.The Province of Córdoba, especially the Agriculture,Livestock and Natural Resources Undersecretary’sOffice, did not enact limits over fumigations in accordancewith the provincial Law N.6629 and its regulationdecree N.3786/94. This governing body isresponsible for monitoring and enforcing the lawsconcerning fumigations in the Province. An advisorneeded to be present when fumigations occurrednear residential areas as outlined in Article 13 of thelaw of agrochemicals.3.The Department of Health of the Province, includingHealth Secretary Roberto Chuit), did not closelymonitor the health of the residents. Mr. Chuit continuallyhid evidence of health issues of the residentscaused by the environmental pollution. Mr. Chuitcreated confusion within this serious situation andconcerned himself more with the devaluation of homesthan to human life.4. The DIPAS (Provincial Office of Water and Sanitation)is in charge of the provision of potable wateramong the inhabitants of the province. DIPAS outsourcedthe water provision to SABIA that did notmonitor the water quality correctly.5. Metallurgical factories owned by such companies asFiat, Materfer, Iveco,TuboTranseléctrica, and Machiarolapolluted the water, air and soil with know chemicalsharmful to the health of humans.6.The agriculture and livestock company that operatesin the zone supported the laboratories by purchasingherbicides that are potentially harmful to humanhealth. This company used these herbicides inorder to increase the yields of the harvests with lit-112