In article <c00qbi$1co8$1@pencil.math.missouri.edu>, Nicaragua Network says...

Dole, Shell and Dow Counter Sue Nicaraguan Banana Workers!
Take Action Today!

The Nemagon legal case, in which hundreds of Nicaraguan 
banana workers won a judgement against Dole, Dow and Shell 
in Nicaraguan courts, has taken a turn for the worse!  The 
three companies accused and found liable in the 2002 
Nicaraguan court case have responded by countersuing the 
claimants.  The Dole Food Company filed a suit in late 
December against the workers, their legal representatives, 
and the doctors who evaluated the patients' health.  The 
companies are seeking a total of $17 billion in this 
countersuit.  Dole officials have filed under the RICO 
(Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law, 
which generally applies to mafia crimes.  According to the 
Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, both Shell and Dow joined 
the suit, though without employing the RICO statute.

The companies have accused the claimants of fraud, 
claiming they listed Nicaraguans who never worked on the 
banana plantations.  The effects of Nemagon can be felt 
through air, ground soil and water contamination, and can 
be passed through generations, thus damaging workers, 
their families, and those residing in the environs of the 
plantations.  The corporations' countersuit is a shameful 
demonstration of the callous disregard for human life 
typically displayed by transnational corporations.

In response, thousands of Nemagon victims are marching 

>from Chinandega, the heart of the banana-growing region, 

to Managua, expecting to arrive on February 11th.  They 
are calling on the Nicaraguan government to issue a 
statement of support of their cause.  Victorino Espinales, 
who has led the protests from their start, said, "We will 
take up our positions in front of the National Assembly, 
in front of the Presidential Palace and before the Supreme 
Court. We demand that these state institutions adopt a 
position in support of the workers. We will ask everyone, 

>from the deputies to the President himself, to treat us 

with dignity and respect and to condemn the position 
adopted by these gringo companies."

Support those affected by the use of this hazardous 
pesticide.  Fax Dole, Shell, and Dow to demand they drop 
this fallacious counter-suit and respect the Nicaraguan 
court decision by paying just compensation to those 
suffering former workers and their families!

Take Action Today!

Send faxes to Dole, Dow and Shell at the following fax 
numbers:

William S. Stavropoulos
President, CEO and Chairman of the Board
Dow Chemical Company
47 Building
Midland, MI 48667 
Fax: (989)636-7238

David H. Murdock 
Chairman of the Board, CEO
Dole Food Company, Inc. 
One Dole Drive
Westlake Village, CA 91362 
Consumer Center Fax: (818) 874-4997 

Shell Oil Company
Contact: Raymond T. Collins
P.O. Box 2463
Houston, TX 77252
Fax: (713) 241-0315

Sample letter:

Dear Sir:

I have followed the suit filed by Nicaraguan 
banana-workers against your company for damages caused by 
the pesticide Nemagon, made with the chemical 
Dibromo-Chloropropane (DBCP).

I am appalled to hear of the countersuit brought by your 
company against these workers for fraud.  

The effects of Nemagon on workers, their families, and 
those residing in the environs of the plantations are well 
documented.  It is for this reason that your company has, 
in the past, compensated workers also affected by Nemagon 
in the Philippines and Costa Rica.  

It is estimated that over 20,000 Nicaraguans are afflicted 
with Nemagon-related diseases and disabilities.  Nemagon's 
toxicity was proven over thirty years ago, leading to its 
ban in the United States.  It is classified as a 
carcinogen by the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical 
Substances, causes sterility and birth defects, and deemed 
"extremely hazardous" by the World Health Organization.

Your company's accusation that the workers' claims are 
fraudulent is unfounded.

I urge your company to take responsibility in these cases 
and offer those Nicaraguans suffering from health damages 
a just compensation.

As a person concerned with human rights, I will continue 
to follow this case. 

Sincerely,
Your name and address

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