Hugo Chavez on cancer

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Hugo Chavez

Ameer Hamza
The Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wondered last week whether the United States could be giving cancer to Latin American leaders! Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, her predecessor Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and Paraguay's Fernando Lugo have all been diagnosed with cancer in recent years. And Chavez himself has been battling the disease with the help of Cuban oncologists.
"Would it be strange if they had developed technology to induce cancer without anyone knowing it?' Chavez was heard asking in his usual humourous vein, soon after Argentina's Cristina Kirchner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, end December. No, Chavez was not making 'rash accusations', but, as he himself confessed, only 'thinking aloud.'
Although said in jest, there is certainly food for thought here, given the mind-boggling things that 21st century science and technology can do, both for good and for bad ---- what with the micro sciences advancing in leaps and bounds and the infinite possibilities for weaponising all kinds of hybrid applications.
Concerned scientists, mind you, have been anxious about the possible unethical uses of scientific knowledge in warfare and espionage and have been calling for more transparency and accountability among the scientific community involved in research. Consider the dreadful scenario where disease organisms are nanotechnologically wired to reproduce themselves!
Remember how Europe was shaken when a virulent type of e-coli bacteria last year grounded thousands across the continent, and even killed quite a few? A 'conspiracy' theory made the rounds even then though no fingers were pointed at any mischief monger. It was said to be a relative of the common gut bug, but of a hitherto unknown variety, which is why some jumped to the conclusion that it could be an escapee from the biotech lab!
The e-coli bacteria is one of the most popular organisms used in biotech labs for research with recombinant DNA. Both drug and weapon makers are known to tinker with its properties. But nobody knows yet where the European e-coli originated. There are plenty of e-coli bacteria in people's faeces --- good, bad and nasty. Most in the natural environment of the gut do no harm but if particularly toxic ones get in, you may end up with the nastiest symptoms of severe food poisoning. Good ones however regulate the internal flora of the guts and a friendly e-coli even manufactures vitamin K2!
But devilish mischief-makers are capable of hijacking science to put it to the wickedest uses. So better not laugh Chavez away. Consider the endless cases of diseases and chemicals that have been used and are still being used as weapons. South Africa's apartheid regimes had employed both biological and chemical methods to deal with their political opponents.
The track record of the most infamous secret services till date leaves no doubt that the devil exists in the guise of Man. Some of the known cases of chemical weapons used by 'civilised' governments have been in Afghanistan, Iraq and South East Asia. The Serbs, at the height of the Bosnian conflict, were reported to have used a binary missile over Srebenica, that mixed gases in mid-air to produce a deadly compound, triggering berserk behaviour in the target group and turning even docile people into murderous mobs.
Weapons like these can exploit undercurrents of hostility and resentment quite effectively. And similar weapons could certainly be used to instigate mob violence, bloody riots and lynching sprees anywhere! There is indeed food for deep thought!