Letter to Dr. Haynes

I sent this email to the Anti GMO professor from the UK who had a big role in the papaya affair in Venezuela:

Dr. Haynes

I am writing to you again to ask you to please talk in our documentary about the burning of the GM papaya in Mérida, Venezuela. We have found people who were present at the moment of the burning of the fields in Lagunillas and they mention that you were present. We have found newspaper clips where you are mentioned, stating that the papaya fields would be burned if the Ministry of environment didn’t act.

We want to give you the chance to tell to our viewers what happened and why it happened. I remember clearly that you were one of the main activists involved in this, you came to the Department of Science to give talk against GMOs, with t-shirts with corn cobs, in which each kernel was a skull. I remember that your group, RAPAL-VE, promoted an organic agriculture, without any synthetic input. It is puzzling to me that now that Venezuelan farmers have no access to the products that make conventional agriculture possible, you have chosen to live in Exeter, instead of living the scenario that you worked hard to create. I would like you to tell us why this happened.

I can guarantee that a full version, unedited of your interview will be posted in the website of the documentary, if you are concerned about being edited in a negative, biased way. I am committed to the truth and to document what happened, unlike many activists who lied during years and years.

Dr. Haynes, we are about to finish and we think that your testimony would improve greatly the documentary, we want to hear your part of the story, and hopefully you will talk to us. If not, we will have to go on and release what we have now as our only source. In any case, I hope this documentary will be interesting to people and what happened in Lagunillas will be remembered and others will learn the lessons from it.

I would like that you at least would acknowledge receiving these emails, Dr. Haynes. I am surprised that after being such a public presence in Venezuela now you are refusing to speak.