| GRUPO PELLAS, NICARAGUA: UNIONS PROTEST AGAINST ANAIRC UNFOUNDED CKD CAMPAIGN AND FLOR DE CAÑA BOYCOTT (IRC, CKF) |
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A group of people purportedly linked to the Nicaraguan Association of Persons Affected by Chronic Kidney Failure (ANAIRC) have been developing for some time a defamatory campaign against Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited, based on unfounded allegations for the sole purpose of getting unjustified monetary compensations from the company. In the last few weeks they have also targeted Grupo Pellas in their campaign and have launched a boycott against the Flor de Caña rum brand. The aforementioned campaign is based on the assumption that former ISA workers acquired the chronic kidney failure disease as a result of working for the company. This campaign is unfounded because there is no scientific study establishing a causal relationship between working in sugar processing estates and CKF, as shown by the fact that countries such as Guatemala, Cuba, or Brazil, where sugarcane cultivation is one of the main activities, are unaware of any CKF epidemics in their cane growing areas. On the other hand, Japan, which does not grow sugarcane, reports the world’s highest prevalence. Ingenio San Antonio (ISA) follows the same agricultural practices used throughout the world, with the added advantage of having an eco-friendly production system in place, given that the protection of the environment is an essential element of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy. On Wednesday June 3rd, Roberto González Gaitán, Secretary General of the Sandinista Workers’ Confederation (CST); José Espinoza Navas, Secretary General of the Confederation of Union Unification (CUS), Carlos Martinez Saavedra, Secretary General of the Autonomous Union Federation (CUSA), as well as the secretaries general of Ingenio San Antonio and Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua unions, signed an important agreement with Carlos Pellas and Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua and Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited representatives, which guarantees work stability in light of the destabilization campaign launched against both companies. In this agreement, union leaders reiterated their rejection to the discrediting and slanderous campaign and boycott initiated by the Nicaraguan Association of Persons Affected by Chronic Renal Insufficiency (ANAIRC) against Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited (Ingenio San Antonio) and Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua, S.A. and their products. It is worth mentioning that, pursuant to this Agreement, Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited and Compañía Licorera undertook to continue providing humanitarian assistance to Chronic Kidney Failure (CKF) patients within the framework of their Corporate Social Responsibility policies, and considering that this disease, which is affecting Nicaragua’s population and has become a national public health issue is particularly very prevalent in the country’s western zone. They also decided to support research carried out by the government or other international institutions to determine the causes of chronic renal insufficiency in Nicaragua, as well as the construction of a national reference hospital specializing in nephrology. In this respect, Nicaragua Sugar has made progress in completing a first feasibility study for said project. Nicaragua Sugar’s official website also contains extensive information on the company’s production practices and Corporate Social Responsibility policy. The address of this website is: www.nicaraguasugar.com. |
