One evening in 2017, María Hilda collapsed at her home in Limo’y 2, a farming colony in Alto Paraná Department, Paraguay. Situated 15 miles from the Paraná River, acting as a border between Paraguay and Brazil, the colony is home to around 100 families. Unable to move or speak, Hilda, a 55-year-old subsistence farmer, experienced symptoms resembling a stroke.
Seeking medical attention at the local health center, Hilda, like many in Paraguay without private health insurance, received limited care. The prescribed medication offered temporary relief, but her long-term well-being remained unaddressed.
Hilda's declining health is attributed to "El Derrame," or "The Stroke," a silent plague affecting Paraguay's eastern countryside. Unlike traditional plagues, El Derrame originates from the soil itself, saturated with pesticides and harmful chemicals due to extensive industrial farming.
Since the 1990s, eastern Paraguay has seen the proliferation of mono-crop fields cultivating genetically modified maize, rice, and soybeans. The influx of pesticides, often orchestrated by Brazilian plantation owners with ties to local politicians, has led to a rise in health issues among farmers. These issues include high blood pressure, congenital malformations, skin rashes, asthma, allergies, and increased mortality rates from cancer and cardiac arrests.
Hilda, a victim of El Derrame, expresses the constant pain she endures. Daily medications for high blood pressure and high cholesterol have become routine for her and many others in the community.
Reflecting on the past, Hilda recalls the mid-1980s when Limo’y 2 was established as her new home. Surrounded by rich forests, the colony thrived on the bounties of nature. However, the landscape has transformed since then, with Limo’y 2 now an island encircled by toxic fields.
Lorenzo Espinola, Hilda's husband, emphasizes the environmental degradation caused by large-scale industrial agriculture. He notes the negative impact of GMO crops, the influx of pesticides, and the ecological consequences that surpass the political and economic challenges faced during General Alfredo Stroessner's regime.
The story unfolds as the couple discusses the blood oath taken by families in Limo’y 2, pledging never to sell land to Brazilian capitalists or those involved in Paraguay's agribusiness. However, in 2002, Brazilian capital infiltrated the community, leading to the sale of land, the arrival of soy cultivation, and the associated health problems.
Hilda and Espinola express their disappointment with the lack of attention from Paraguay's political authorities. Despite their struggles, no representatives from the Paraguayan Health Department or the Ministry of Agriculture have shown interest in the community's plight.
As the couple contemplates the future, they believe Paraguay's destiny hinges on the nation's relationship with GMO soy. The once-thriving Mata Atlântica, or Atlantic Forest, has given way to remnants as large-scale industrial agriculture and GMO crops reshape the landscape. The couple's narrative serves as a poignant illustration of the complex interplay between agriculture, environmental degradation, and public health in Paraguay.
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