Changes
maize ''has indeed'' invaded Mexico. Says Science 3/1/2002 "Surprisingly, even
Quist and Chapela's most strident critics agree with one of their central
points: Illicit transgenic maize may well be growing in Mexico.... At a 23 January meeting in Mexico City, CINVESTAV official Elleli Huerta presented preliminary PCR findings indicating that transgenic promoters, mostly CaMV 35S, were present in about 12% of the plants. In some areas, up to 35.8% of the grain contained foreign sequences, INE scientific adviser Sol Ortiz Garcia told Science last week." "This is the world's worst case of contamination by genetically modified material because it happened in the place of origin of a major crop. It is confirmed. There is no doubt about it." Jorge Soberó®¬ Secretary of Mexico's National Biodiversity Commission told the London Daily Telegraph, April 19, 2002 [http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/2002/sp02v8n2.html#notes]. See also [http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=410]. Also see [[CARMA International]] and this Spinwatch article on the [http://www.spinwatch.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=344 Congress of Racial Equality] for more on Monsanto's PR tactics.
Unfortunately for Chapela, despite overwhelming support from Berkeley staff and students alike, Chancellor Robert Berdahl decided to deny him tenure. Supporters petitioned the new Chancellor to reverse the decision. However "the Budget Committee knows the chancellor wants to get his hands on that corporate loot [Berkeley receives tens of millions of dollars from biotech] Chapela is exactly the kind of person we need around here. He has wisdom, and above all he has courage and integrity" said Joe Nielands, emeritus professor of biochemistry [http://www.berkeleydaily.org/article.cfm?archiveDate=12-10-04&storyID=20257].