Chronic kidney disease in Nicaragua has reached epidemic proportions, in some areas it affects one man in three, often with a fatal outcome. Doctors name various causes of the disease - from agricultural chemicals to global warming, but none of them can be confirmed yet.
At harvest time, when exhausted workers spent 7 days a week chopping sugarcane, the signs of the deadly disease were difficult to notice at first. When the season ended, people began to notice that the players on the baseball court moved as if half asleep, and in the evenings they had high temperatures.
“This is Mosquito, he died recently,” says Arnulfo Telles Aguilera, pointing to the photo. "This is my brother Danilo, he is also dead."
The agonizing disease, dubbed chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu), has claimed the lives of 20,000 men in Nicaragua over the past 10 years. She is merciless towards both mature men and young people, tells the New York Times.
It is still unknown what causes this disease. There are many speculations: overheating in the sun, chronic dehydration, toxic chemicals, pain relievers, excessive sugar consumption, and even volcanic dust. But doctors agree on one thing: men are more likely to die where sugar production is concentrated, in particular, in the city of Chichigalpa, where the largest sugar factory in the world is located. People say the water in the fields is contaminated with something.
“My husband died at 6 o'clock in the morning, our neighbor died at 2, and the next day three more people died,” says 37-year-old Gilma, a mother of five.
The Nicaraguan government, sugar factory owners, and even the World Bank, which have poured millions of dollars into sugar production, say they are unable to take action to prevent the disease until its causes are known.
Former workers at the San Antonio factory, stricken by the disease, filed a lawsuit against the World Bank, which issued a $ 55 million loan to their factory. Both the bank and the factory management knew about the dire situation of the workers, but did nothing to help them. Before each harvest, workers are tested to determine if they are still fit to work in the field. The workers themselves drink tamarind juice and flaxseed oil and try to avoid strong sun in order to improve their analyzes. Otherwise, their families will be left without a livelihood. “If you're sick, they just say goodbye to you and don't get any help,” Aguilera says.
Promotional video:
"I think a lot of people are involved here," said Kristen Genovese, a Washington-based lawyer who helped workers file the lawsuit. "The government hasn't been left out either."
One of the possible causes of the disease is called herbicides. However, these substances are used in many regions of the world, but mysterious deaths are observed only in Nicaragua and in another "sugar" country - Sri Lanka.
Mario Amador, head of the National Sugar Industry Association, denies that the deaths of workers are directly related to production. According to business owners, the taxes they pay to the treasury should go to pensions and insurance for sick workers and their families. Until the exact cause is determined, they refuse to take responsibility.
“When you’re only concerned with getting out of a commitment, it’s almost impossible to figure out the cause,” says Jason Glazer, president of La Isla, which focuses on chronic kidney disease.
Arnulfo Aguilera passed away three weeks after a New York Times correspondent spoke with him.