Health care professionals' letter of support against cell phone tower in Rafael Delgado

December 18th, 2012

Rafael Delgado, Veracruz, México

Attention:

Lorenzo de Jesús Teodoro

Ejido Commissary of “San Juan del Rio”

Armando Joel Trinidad Quirino

Municipal President of Rafael Delgado, Veracruz

Javier Duarte de Ochoa

Governor of the state of Veracruz-Llave

We, the undersigned doctors, nurses and other health care professionals would like to express our profound worry about the risk to the health of the inhabitants of the ejido San Juan del Rio, located in the municipality of Rafael Delgado, Veracruz, Mexico, due to the installation and possible activation of a cell phone antenna in ejido territory by the company MATC Digital S. de R.L. De C.V., for the benefit of the company TELCEL of the CARSO group. The main shareholder and director of TELCEL is Carlos Slim Helú. Since 2010, this company has tried to install this antenna in the middle of ejido lands, an area inhabited by women, men and children, rich in flora and fauna and used for the planting and harvesting of agricultural products by farmers of predominantly indigenous background. Since 2010, those affected by the antenna have openly expressed their opposition to its presence and activation on their land mainly due to the side effects of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell phone antennas. The antenna has in fact been voted against by the ejido members in official assembly.

As health care professionals we would like to bring to your attention that the concern of the farmers with respect to the impacts of the antenna on their health is indeed well-founded and legitimate. Although international rules and standards with respect to radiation tend to focus solely on its thermal effects, assuming a zero risk in the case of radiation which does not produce thermal energy, this presumption is not only adventured but also erroneous given that evidence presented in international studies has shown negative clinical and biochemical effects caused by non-ionizing radiation which does not produce thermal energy.

To date, seven epidemiological studies have been carried out in populations living in proximity to cell phone antennas. One German study[1] demonstrated a threefold risk of developing cancer in the population living within a radius of 400 meters of a cell phone antenna compared to the population living outside that radius. Besides the augmented incidence of cancer, the phenomenon of electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) has also been shown in people continually exposed to cell phone antennas. Some of the symptoms expressed by individuals with EHS included: weakness, fatigue, headache, problems with concentration and memory, depression, irritability, dermatological problems, dizziness and cardiovascular effects. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined EHS as “a phenomenon in which individuals demonstrate adverse health effects during the use of or proximity to devices which emit magnetic or electromagnetic fields. Whatever the cause of EHS, it is a real phenomenon which sometimes results in a debilitating problem for the persons affected. The exposition of individuals who develop EHS is often quite below the internationally accepted standards”.[2] The biochemical and structural effects which have been shown as a consequence of this radiation include: DNA breaks, altered DNA reproduction, increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier, alterations in the flow of calcium and changes in enzymatic activity.

Based in the current established evidence of adverse effects and other areas of concern which require greater study, various international organizations have denounced the establishment of telephone antennas in proximity to human populations. One of these organizations, the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), emitted a declaration[3] in 2004 against the use of fire stations as bases for antennas and cell phone towers due to the results of a study which showed abnormal cerebral activity in firefighters in California who worked in a fire station with an antenna on its roof during five years. Also, the firefighters presented confusion, amnesia, migraines, insomnia, infertility, depression, tremor and vertigo. The changes in cerebral activity were demonstrated in SPECT studies and could not be explained by exposition to other chemical substances.

In cities such as Vancouver, Los Angeles and Palm Beach, by-laws have been established to prevent the location of cell phone antennas in proximity to schools due to the concern of greater adverse effects in children. In addition, in 2002, over 3000 physicians signed the Freiburger Appeal[4], denouncing the adverse effects of cell phone antennas based on observations of their patients. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also informed that cell phone towers are “possibly carcinogenic” in a communiqué from 2011. The WHO has recommended that these towers should not be installed within a 500 meter radius of areas where people live.

At the national level, the establishment of the cell phone antenna in San Juan del Rio territory represents a clear violation of Article 4 of the Carta Magna, which declares that all people have the right to health and an adequate environment for their well-being and development. In complete agreement with the definition of health established by the WHO, (“the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not only the absence of disease”) we support the demands of the inhabitants of San Juan del Rio, Veracruz, and their rejection of the installation and activation of the cell phone antenna by the companies MATC Digital and TELCEL given the very real health risk that the antenna represents for the inhabitants of the area. Along with them, we demand that the municipal authorities of Rafael Delgado, the state and federal governments comply with the stipulations of the Mexican constitution and international norms in the areas of health and indigenous rights and as a result, that they respond favorably to the demands of the affected.

Sincerely,

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[1] Eger, H. et al. 2004. The Influence of Being Physically Near to a Cell Phone Transmission Mast on the Incidence of Cancer. Umwelt Medizin Gesellschaft 17,4. as: 'Einfluss der räunlichen Nähe von Mobilfunksendeanlagen auf die Krebsinzidenz'.

[2] Mild, KH et al. (Editors) 2004. Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. WHO, Proceedings, International Workshop on EMF Hypersensitivity, Prague, Czech Republic. October 25-27.

[3] IAFF. 2005. Position on the Health Effects from Radio Frequency/Microwave (RF/MW) Raditation in Fire Department Facilities from Base Stations for Antennas and Towers for the Conduction of Cell Phone Transmissions. International Association of Fire Fighters, Division of Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine. Http://www.iaff.org/HS/Resi/CellTowerFinal.htm

[4] Freiburger Appeal 2002. Interdisziplina re Gesellschaft fur Umweltmedizin e. V.9. October 2002.

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¿Qué es PAHTEKIPANOHKE?

¿Qué es el Proyecto de Salud Integral y Autogestiva PAHTEKIPANOHKE?


Pahtekipanohke (l@s que trabajan la salud) es un proyecto comunitario y popular, constituido por gente de pueblos rurales de la zona de las altas montañas del estado de Veracruz, en su mayoría, indígenas y hablantes de la lengua Nahuatl además de gente solidaria incluyendo personas con formación en las áreas de salud, derechos humanos y sociología. El proyecto tiene como objetivo principal una recuperación y fomentación de un estado de salud integral de las comunidades involucradas a través de trabajo popular, horizontal, autónomo y no lucrativo que además como principio central respeta y busca preservar el conocimiento de medicina tradicional de la zona.

Entendemos la salud como derecho fundamental y parte integral de una vida digna. Como tal, todas las personas deben de gozar del máximo nivel de salud y bienestar sin importar su color, su etnia, género, edad, clase, religión, habilidades, u orientación sexual. También basamos nuestro trabajo en un entendimiento sobre los determinantes de la salud, los cuales incluyen el ambiente político, desigualdad económica y social, violencia de género, discriminación sexual, represión política (incluyendo militar y policiaca) y explotación ambiental entre otros. Por lo tanto, cualquier trabajo serio acerca de la salud debe de contemplar esas raíces de las enfermedades y buscar crear cambios en las mismas condiciones que las fomentan; garantizar la salud incluye asegurar acceso a agua limpia y potable, condiciones de vivienda adecuadas, nutrición sana, un medio ambiente sano, condiciones favorables de trabajo, acceso a educación e información sobre la salud. Es una responsabilidad colectiva garantizar ese estado de salud y bienestar y por lo tanto, las decisiones acerca de la salud deben de ser participativas y horizontales. El derecho a salud no sólo comprende el derecho a estar sano pero también incluye el derecho a la libertad de tomar decisiones sobre su propio cuerpo y resistir injerencias contra ello, por ejemplo, el derecho de resistir la tortura, la explotación, tratamientos y experimentos médicos no consensuales.

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¿Tlen in PAHTEKIPANOHKE?

In “Pahtekipanohke” itoka se tekitl kichiwatoke in masewaltlakameh iwan masewalsiwameh akimeh chanchiwah itech in altepemeh itech in Zonglica Altepeyotl. Achi tonochtin titlapowah in tomexicatlahtol (noihqui motokayotia Nahuatl). Tehwan timasewaltin inwan oksekimeh tlakameh iwan siwameh akimeh omomachtihke Salud, Derechos Humanos, Sociología, iwan oksekintin weytlamatilizmeh (nozo profesiones).

Inin tekitl kineki kimakixtis iwan kahxiltis se kualli tochikawalis iwan toyolika (salud integral). Inin tiktlaniske ika toixkoyan titekipanoske. Ayakmo tikchiaske in tekiwa techmakas in tlen timonekih pampa tikpiaske kualli toyolika. Nikan toteki, nochtin tlakame iwan siwame kualtis tekipanoske, iwan san se impatiyo. Tiktemotoke kemin tikmakixtis in tepahtilizmatiliztli otechcahtewilihke tocoltzitziwan iwan tocihtzitziwan, ipampa axan poliwitok iwan moilcawatok.

No nikan amitla tomin tiktlaniske; ahmo mochiwa tomin nikan. In tochikawalis iwan toyolika (salud) kahke toderechoh (mexikatlahtolkopa moihtowa "tomelahkatlanawatil"). Inon kihtosneki, amika kualtis techkuilis totepahtiliz, iwan kemman timokohkotoke, moneki tikpiaske topahti iwan nochtin tlen moneki pampa timopahtiske. Ahmo moneki momatis tlen itlapal totlacayo, noso tlen toessoh, tlen toaltepe, noso kech tomin tikpiah. Noihki, amika kualtis technawatis tlen tikchiwaske ika totlakayo tla amo tiknekih. San tehwan kualtis toixkoyan tikihtoske tlen tikchiwaske ika totlakayo. Tla kualli tinemiske, moneki kualli toyolika tikpiaske, nochtin tehwan.

Nikan toteki, tiknekih timomachtiske tleika witze in kokolisme. Onka miak tlamantli ipampa witze kokolisme, kemin tlahsolli, noso namikyaochiwalistli, noso in tlatz kuawtekilistli noso kemman in weyi tlatkiwahke (kaxtilkopa moihtowa capitales noso empresas) witze iwan kisokitiah totlalwan noso toatoyawan, noso toehekawan. Tla tiknekih kualli titekipanoske, moneki tikihtaske in inelwayo in kokolistli, iwan tikpatlaske. Tla tiknekih tikpiaske kualli toyolika, moneki tikpiaske chipawak atl, chipawak tokalihtik, iwan noihki moneki tikpiaske kualli totlakual, kualli totekipan, kualli totemachtiloyan, iwan moneki okachi tikmatiske tepahtilistli.

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What is PAHTEKIPANOHKE?

Pahtekipanohke (those who promote health) is a popular community project, made up of people from the rural communities of the high mountains (Altas Montañas) region of the state of Veracruz, mainly Indigenous and Nahuatl speaking, as well as allies with training in the areas of health, human rights and sociology. The project’s main objective is to recuperate and foment holistic health in the participating communities through autonomous, popular, horizontal non-lucrative work which as a central principle respects and looks to preserve knowledge of the traditional medicine of the region.

We understand health as a fundamental right and part of a dignified life. As such, all people should enjoy the maximum level of health and well being, regardless of their color, ethnicity, gender, social class, abilities or sexual orientation. We also base our work on an understanding about the determinants of health, which include the political environment, economic and social inequalities, gender violence, sexual discrimination, political repression (including military and police violence) and environmental exploitation, among others. For this reason, any serious health work needs to contemplate the roots of sickness and look to create changes in the conditions that contribute to it; guaranteeing health includes ensuring access to clean and potable water, adequate living conditions, healthy food, a healthy environment, favourable work conditions, access to education and information about health. It is a collective responsibility to guarantee health and well being and therefore, all decisions around health should be participative and horizontal. The right to health not only includes the right to be healthy but also includes the right to freedom of decisions about one’s own body and the right to resist aggressions against it, for example, the right to resist torture, exploitation, and medical treatments and experiments that are not consensual.