Venezuela Says US Missionaries Investigating Uranium Deposits, Drug Patents

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBH815RYEE.html

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's justice minister said Tuesday that U.S.-based missionaries were being expelled from the country because they were illegally investigating uranium deposits and carrying out pharmaceutical research for patenting in the Amazon rainforests.

Justice Minister Jesse Chacon accused the New Tribes Mission of using evangelical work with indigenous groups as a cover for working with multinational drug companies and other foreign interests. snip

"(Those uranium deposits) are being investigated by the New Tribes movement," Chacon said without elaborating.

He also accused the missionaries of collaborating with multinational pharmaceutical companies to extract plant- and animal-based healing knowledge from indigenous communities to develop drugs for patenting.

"In their camps they have airstrips, planes ... very sophisticated equipment like computers and satellite transmitters, everything you can possibly imagine that isn't necessary to evangelize indigenous groups," Chacon said.

[salib]

1. Figures...

Evangelism is such a cover for so many horrendous human impulses, mostly xenophobic. I am glad that someone is calling a spade a spade.

[Ferret Annica]

2. Sounds like the wavers of the Holy Babble had another agenda

They sound like their eviction was a good idea, one way overdue to be given them.

[BeHereNow]

3. Can we expel them from the US too? n/t

BHN