No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsletterCosta Rica promises to compensate sickened banana workers

Costa Rica promises to compensate sickened banana workers

Costa Rica has agreed to pay the medical bills and other compensation for some 12,000 banana workers and their relatives suffering lingering effects of exposure to pesticides in the 1960s and ’70s.

The workers and their relatives were sickened after being exposed to the chemical Nemagon while toiling in Costa Rica’s banana plantations.

Vice President Ana Gabriel Zúñiga late Tuesday announced the decision to make the payments after meeting with representatives of the affected workers.

“This is a historical debt owed by the government,” she said. “The government is committed to once and for all resolve the situation for the affected families.”

Between 1967 and 1979, thousands of laborers who worked in banana plantations owned by multinational corporations in Costa Rica and elsewhere in Central America were exposed to Nemagon, a pesticide linked to sterility, cancer, miscarriage and genetic deformities.

After a long legal battle, victims of the pesticide in Costa Rica succeeded in getting lawmakers to pass a measure promising compensation for continuing ill effects from the chemical, but a decade and a half later they are still waiting to be paid.

Tuesday’s meeting was held after Costa Rica’s Supreme Court last month ordered the government to take steps to resolve the matter.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Court Orders Urgent Regulation of Tuna Fishing Law

Costa Rica's Constitutional Court has stepped in to push the government on a long-delayed tuna fishing law. The court partially backed an appeal from...

US Revokes Visa of CRHoy Owner Amid Fraud Allegations

The US government revoked the tourist and business visa of Leonel Baruch, the businessman behind Costa Rican news site CRHoy. Reports connect the move...

New Poison Dart Frog Species Discovered in Peru’s Amazon

Peruvian researchers have identified a new poison dart frog in the Amazon rainforest, adding to the region's rich array of wildlife. The tiny creature,...

Costa Rican Congressman Faces Sexual Abuse Allegations from 2006

Fabricio Alvarado, a sitting congressman and presidential hopeful for the New Republic Party, now contends with a formal complaint accusing him of sexually abusing...

Costa Rican Hotels Warn of Job Risks Amid Drop in Tourists

Hotels across Costa Rica face mounting pressures as tourist numbers dip and a sluggish dollar exchange rate eats into their earnings. From January to...

5 Top Costa Rican Restaurants on TripAdvisor’s Best List

Costa Rica's restaurants have landed spots on TripAdvisor's global list of top dining spots this year. Five local places made the cut in the...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica