They live on Freedom Street but some residents say its more like prison street. That's because they say they are being held hostage inside their home by toxic fumes from a nearby body works shop. We first told you about the problem in January of 2006 when a resident, Joan Matus-Avelar, came to us complaining with evidence from doctors certifying that something was making her ill. We aired the story but in 18 months much has been said nothing has changed, at least not according to the residents we spoke to today. Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Now, an even greater number of residents on Freedom Street now say the fumes from this auto body shop are making them sick. Rosa Ayala has a family of ten.
Rosa Ayala, Freedom Street Resident
"I sit down here watching and when I feel the paint strong strong. We got headache and all. This lady who is my friend, she has to go way back to the house because she can't stand the paint. My daughter, in the night when school is on, she can't sleep. Her head hurts her and blood starts to come. When they didn't used to paint, that didn't happen. I am going up and down with the baby, grand daughter, to the hospital - she is sick. The scent is strong strong. I have sent my daughters to work but when school reopens, how will they study again."
Rosa Ayala's daughter is Carla.
Carla Ayala, Freedom Street Resident
"When they are painting, the fumes, when it goes into your nose, it goes up and it gives you terrible headache because that has happened to me. My sister she just came to live back here and she is already getting affected by it. We have to leave our house at times because of the same problem. My little sister right now, I don't know if she still has it but she had rashes on her feet. I had a couple of them but not so much. I have been suffering with nose bleeding, I didn't have any problem with that, and also with headache and other symptoms."
And it's not only the Ayalas who are complaining. Alisha Usher and her family live next door.
Alisha Usher, Freedom Street Resident
"Every time when this man is spraying I have to come out of my house and go about my business because it is affecting me and I have a young baby and if I get sick or my baby get sick, he won't give us nothing."
Keith Swift,
What do the fumes do to you?
Alisha Usher,
"Because when he is spraying, he makes the whole house stink. You can't even catch your breath. I don't tell him anything because I don't want problems so I call the people them but they don't come. Every time I call no one comes. I want them to do something about it because it is not working or else I will have to move and that doesn't make any sense."
One woman who had to move is Joan Matus-Avelar. We first spoke to her two years ago. Then she complained the shop was making her and her children sick. Two weeks ago she had to move out of her house on Freedom Street because of the fumes.
Joan Matus-Avelar, Moved from Freedom Street
"We approximately moved from here about three weeks ago. This is the same issue that obligated us to move from our own home. My family and myself, we had to move from our own home here to another location due to the circumstances that we could not take it anymore. We were spending so much money on medical health and the government was not listening to us."
The man at the center of the controversy is Cesar Cisneros who we confronted today at his body shop on Freedom Street.
Keith Swift,
Sir you neighbors say the fumes from your shop is making them sick.
Cesar Cisneros, Owner of Body Shop
"Who said that?"
Keith Swift,
Your neighbors, Miss Ayala.
Cesar Cisneros,
"Which one?"
Keith Swift,
What exactly do you do at this shop?
Cesar Cisneros,
"Body works and paint but until right now I don't that anyone, only this girl that is complaining all the time."
Keith Swift,
But these people say it is making them sick.
Cesar Cisneros,
"Only that same lady Miss Joan says that. This personal what this gial have with me. I have done everything that the Department of Environment says and the City Council. All the things that I told me to do, I did it already. I don't think I am damaging anyone. What happened to the rest of the body shops that are being operated right in Belize City, worse than me? They don't comply to nothing compared to what I have done already. I don't know what is the problem that lady has with me. I tell you the truth, she doesn't want me to eat, that is what she is looking for. She is taking bread from my mouth. That is what she is doing with me."
Cisneros does have his supporters. He introduced us to Karen Hemsley. She doesn't live on Freedom Street but spends most of her time there.
Keith Swift,
These other people on the street tell me the fumes are making them sick. Are you also experiencing that?
Karen Hemsley,
"Well you can see me, I have been working back here for three years now and you can see nothing on me. The babies in there, it is two babies I baby sit back there and nothing so I don't know."
But these residents say they don't want to close down Cesar Cisneros' shop, they just want it moved out of their neighborhood.
Carla Ayala,
"I have lived back here since I was three and I don't think it is fair for me have to move from my own house to go elsewhere because of that and all we are asking for is for them to hear us and make them do something about it, put them like up the road or something like that. We aren't telling them to close them down, because he must think that's what we are trying to do but we are just asking for him to put his garage somewhere else."
Rosa Ayala,
"We can't do nothing but until they see somebody dead, then they will something but it will be too late. She moved, she is alright, but we, where will we go. We can't do nothing."
