A group of Spanish victims of a major poison scandal involving rapeseed oil in 1981 has been occupying part of the Prado museum in Madrid since Tuesday morning. According to Spanish media The six say they will commit suicide if the government does not respond to his demands. Among other things, they want Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to make more money available for medical care for all victims of the so-called edible oil scandal, in which thousands of people were killed or paralyzed.
Photos show the group holding a banner in a museum room, depicting the famous work Las Meninas by the painter Diego Velázquez in the background. They would like to take suicide pills six hours after the start of the action. In return for Radio Madrid the victims say that museum security tried to force them out of “the most important room of the museum” “by force” but that they resisted. They would have chosen the Prado Museum for their action, because culture would have kept them going.
The edible oil scandal started in May 1981, when residents of a working-class neighborhood in Madrid suddenly suffered from fever, breathing problems and headaches. An investigation revealed that the rapeseed oil they used for frying had been mixed with industrial waste oil. According to the group, around 5,000 people died as a result of the poisoning. About twenty thousand Spaniards also had permanent complaints, such as lung problems or paralysis. In 1997, the Spanish Supreme Court held the State liable for the health damage.
You can talk about suicide at the national helpline 113 Suicide Prevention. Phone 0900-0113 or www.113.nl.
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