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Botnia Accident Victim Recounts Serious on Job Accident and Says he is Violently Ill

Despite the Life Threatening Severity of the Accident, and the Worker's Ill Health, Botnia Ignores His Conditions

Uruguay – September 10, 2007 - Luis Quinteros, a 34 year old worker at Botnia's Uruguayan pulp mill recounts, how on August 14 th , unaware that just meters away, there was a deadly accident occurring on Botnia's construction site, he suffered serious intoxication, passed out, violently vomited, had froth spewing from his mouth, and was taken to Botnia's clinic and later to a local hospital, where to his surprise, no studies were done. He says Botnia has not even inquired as to his health. He has no money to pay for medical studies and his condition is worsening. He and his co-worker, who suffered similar symptoms were simply sent home. Three weeks later, he began expelling large quantities of blood through his anus, and today, he does not yet know what is ailing him. He is still evacuating blood through his intestines, has no idea how serious his illness might be. He spoke to a local radio station to tell his story, and has sought legal council to sue Oy Mesta Botnia for damages. Botnia, who had promised Uruguayan's state of the art technology and safe environmental management systems , has been accused by workers, local media and community groups as well as by the workers union of laxing safety controls to accelerate construction schedules. Serious accidents and death have resulted from this decision taken by Botnia's CEO Erkki Varis despite a presidential request to cease construction until Argentina and Uruguay can resolve their differences. The transcript of the interview is below

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Jorge Daniel Taillant

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