Declaration of the CLACSO Working Group on Crisis, Responses and Alternatives in the Greater Caribbean

Justice for the Caribbean peoples exposed to chlordecon poisoning

Throughout 2019, social and environmental activists in Martinique and Guadeloupe denounced the introduction and continued use of chlordecon in the French Antilles. This molecule, patented in 1952, is the basis for the manufacture of pesticides. Its use in France had been discouraged since 1969. However, the French government authorized its temporary introduction to combat the banana weevil under the pretext that the economies of the French Caribbean depended significantly on banana exports.

Chlordecon ranks among the fifteen most dangerous molecules in the world. Its persistence in soils can last for hundreds of years. Among its negative effects are its carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and endocrine-disrupting properties. Chlordecon contamination increases the risk of premature births, vision impairment, impaired mental and motor development, and dyslexia, autism, precocious puberty, and obesity. In 1979, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized chlordecon as a probable carcinogen.

In addition to its use in agriculture in Martinique and Guadeloupe, analyses conducted in 1999 revealed the presence of chlordecon in drinking water in Martinique. It is estimated that over 90% of the islands' population is contaminated with chlordecon.

In response to this situation, the inhabitants of both islands have begun filing lawsuits and sending open letters demanding justice. Their demands against the French state include the creation of a compensation fund and the provision of free tests to determine the concentration of chlordecon in the blood and the effects of this substance on overall health.

Through this statement, the Working Group “Crisis, Responses and Alternatives in the Greater Caribbean” expresses its solidarity with the Caribbean peoples affected by chlordecon contamination in their demands for justice and reparations. It supports the demand for the permanent elimination of chlordecon use in the Caribbean and for a thorough investigation into its effects and the incidence of cancer in the population of the French Antilles. It reaffirms the urgent need for effective action to remediate the contamination of communities and the soil. It condemns the inaction and complicity of the French State in this episode of continued chlordecon contamination in the Caribbean, years after its high toxicity and devastating effects on the environment and human health were established. It warns of the potential use of other highly toxic pesticides in French overseas territories, with devastating effects on terrestrial and marine ecosystems and human settlements.

 23 de Diciembre de 2019
CLACSO Working Group
Crisis, responses and alternatives in the Greater Caribbean