OPINION | The invisible enemy

(CNN Spanish) – Creepy!

That was my reaction to seeing the images of families, many of them Hispanic, playing in a public park in Hardee County, Florida. They couldn’t imagine that they were on top of radioactive rocks. Yes, that’s right: RADIOACTIVE. Our most recent documentary is titled The invisible enemy. Seeing these images of children and their parents made my hair stand up and I thought that the title could not be more exact.

Mining of phosphate, the main ingredient in fertilizers in agriculture, has sold or “donated” the stone called “reject rock” in Florida and Hardee County has used it in the construction of roads, streets, parks and even centers. community. This, despite the fact that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared that all radioactive material – such as that waste stone – must be kept on private property and away from the public.

In Florida they have accepted donations from the main company, Mosaic (which has allocated millions of dollars to supposed improvements in areas affected by mining) and several counties have spread the radioactive stone in public places.

Many consider that a blind eye has been turned to the concern of citizens. State health authorities determined at the time that there was no danger to health and Mosaic defends that there are no reasons to fear its rocks. However, experts consulted by CNN completely disagree: any exposure to radioactivity, even within legal limits, can be a health hazard.

This is Florida inland, agricultural, poorer and far from the beaches, amusement parks and glamor of tourist Florida – but where, in the case of Hardee County, live – about 50% minority people. They walk through its streets, drink the water, eat the fish from the lakes that were made in the process of recovering ancient mines, and their children play in the dirt between the stones.

There are signs that warn of crocodiles and snakes, but nothing to let families know that being in these places could put their health in danger. Nothing to tell you that radiation exposure is cumulative and that over the years it could create a myriad of bone and nervous system problems and could even lead to cancer.

CNN en Español exposes this problem in a documentary that will leave many wondering: how can something like this happen in Florida? I am sure that many will see parallels with other industries throughout our region that have power against defenseless citizens.

And therein lies the point. The role of journalism in a democracy is to question everything – because we are the voice of the public. Questioning is essential for healthy, neutral and light-hearted journalism. We have to question everything from politics and politicians to the behavior of companies, because we cannot be organs of the State, or advertising pamphlets for anyone and even less if there is any type of abuse of power.

This Sunday, November 7, The Invisible Enemy opens on CNN Docufilms with María Celeste Arrarás, the great Puerto Rican journalist who leads this space. It is one of several investigative works that CNN en Español is doing for this new slot. But this is not the first time that we have investigated issues of great relevance and impact for Latinos in the United States and for all Latin Americans in their countries on issues of injustice, political concerns, and little-known stories. We have been recognized with great awards for our journalistic work and now, when this network is about to turn 25, I am proud to know that we remain committed to good journalism and to representing the voice of our public, wherever Spanish is spoken.

For me, the most disconcerting thing about this documentary is how close to home is the Bone Valley (Valley of bones) where the rocks are scattered, the lack of respect for the citizens, who do not imagine that there is something potentially so dangerous to their around. I hope that our journalistic work puts a focus of help on these communities that live surrounded by this invisible enemy, because it is something simply creepy!