Guatemalans sue US

Maza
By Maza

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12739793

Guatemalans sue US over syphilis tests Guatemalans who were deliberately infected with syphilis or gonorrhoea in medical tests in the 1940s are suing the US government for compensation.

Hundreds of Guatemalan prisoners, psychiatric patients and orphans were infected without their consent in a programme to study penicillin. A class action lawsuit was filed by lawyers for the Guatemalans and their relatives.

The US apologised last year for the "reprehensible" experiments. But lawyers said the Obama administration had not responded to a request for an out-of-court compensation settlement. The tests were kept secret for decades, until a medical historian uncovered hidden records and made them public last year. The study carried out by US scientists took place in Guatemala between 1946 and 1948.

Evidence of the programme was unearthed by Prof Susan Reverby at Wellesley College in the US. The Guatemalan government of the day gave permission for the tests, she said. But the people infected were unaware they were being experimented on.

In the experiments, researchers bribed care workers to let them inject their charges, while prisoners were encouraged to sleep with infected prostitutes. Current Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom called the tests a "crime against humanity" when they came to light.

By nomerci• 19 Mar 2011 15:24
nomerci

Ok, if you say so. :)

By anonymous• 19 Mar 2011 15:22
anonymous

"I could provide you with a reasoned, lengthy argument. BUT, there are plenty of those , pro and con, on the net. so you might as well just look it up.

Yes, I am not in the mood today, sorry"

Sorry - you cant.

By nomerci• 19 Mar 2011 15:19
nomerci

Rizzo, I am not saying that you are incorrect, I only said that I do not agree with you.

And yes, I could provide you with a reasoned, lengthy argument. BUT, there are plenty of those , pro and con, on the net. so you might as well just look it up.

Yes, I am not in the mood today, sorry.

By anonymous• 19 Mar 2011 14:47
anonymous

NO MERCI - I dont suppose you could provide me with a reasoned argument to show how i am incorrect??

By nomerci• 19 Mar 2011 13:46
nomerci

Rizzo, I don't agree. But, of course I respect your opinion.

By anonymous• 19 Mar 2011 13:08
anonymous

this article is about the US and the fairytale that the western democracy is all about govts representing THE people is shoved down our throats from the moment we are born.

Answer to your question, I would say Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, Chile, Indonesia, Iran, Nicaragua, Norway, Sweden, the Congo, Australia, even Libya have acted in varying degrees, some in the past, some present, in favour of the majority people in providing a fairer more equitable society

By nomerci• 19 Mar 2011 12:50
nomerci

Rizzo, yes, I DID read that. And yes, they sold their people out.

Geez, since when are governments, ANY government, in favour of the people they represent ???

It's all about money and power...and maybe down the line a few results are good for the people...a few, if that.

You constantly go on about the US...do you really think other governments are much different???

By anonymous• 19 Mar 2011 12:25
anonymous

Deliberately infected with syphilis by a US medical team in the 1940s and this on the back of Nuremberg [Trials] where we proclaimed nonconsensual human medical experimentation was immoral, evil and completely unacceptable.

By nomerci• 19 Mar 2011 12:08
nomerci

I would say the Guatemalan government sold its own people out.In 1940.

By Maza• 19 Mar 2011 00:01
Maza

Both are guilty...though the word permission is probably not an accurate description of what actually happened; it was probably more a case of the US telling the Guatemalan government "let us do the experiments or else!"

By anonymous• 18 Mar 2011 23:52
anonymous

Since the Guatemalan government gave permission then shouldn't these people be suing Guatemalan government?

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