I know it's against the rules to post non english articles but there ARE NO articles about this in english and I really think this should get out and the world should know about it. Translators can back or challenge my interpretations if you'll allow this to stay... and if it even gets any attention. Thanks
Translation of the main article published March 17 by Guatemalan newspaper elPeriodico:
The scandal over "chemical formula" to save Lake Amatitlan.
The scandal keeps growing after the Authority for Sustainable Management of Lake Amatitlan (AMSA) started paying Q.137.8 million (18 million USD. approx) to the supposed Israeli company M. Tarcic Engineering Ltd. for a miracle formula that would rescue a lake that has been victim of heavy pollution for many years.
Read related articles by journalist Enrique Garcia and published in elPeriodico (newspaper).
AMSA grants two contracts for Q137.8 million Sticker placed yesterday, only sign of firm that received Q.137.8 million AMSA not giving information about Q137.8M project for Lake Amatitlan. Manufacturer defends Q137.8M payment for formula to clean lake. Faculty (School of Chemical Science) questions formulas and studies meant to clean lake.
(I'd be happy to translate further reading if anyone is interested)
The Facts:
Immense quantities of residential and industrial sewage from the Guatemalan capital and it's surroundings are dumped into this lake with very little effort to avoid or regulate. Not to mention the annual 500 thousand tons of sediment that also go into the lake thanks to mining in the lake's surroundings.
The current Guatemalan government, whose administrators have recently been under constant questioning for the misuse of funds and their inexplicable wealth have paid approximately 18 million US dollars for the purchase and applicaton of some sort of miracle chemical that will rescue the lake.
The purveyor of this miraculous formula is an Israeli company named M. Tarcic Engineering Ltd. From which very little is known. (I've googled them and all results just point back to this current event in Guatemala).
The supposed address for this company's offices in Guatemala were actually for a different company, which is represented by a person who recently made a deal with the Guatemalan government for about 1.2 million dollars for some tech services . A couple of stickers reading M Tarcic were placed at the door just a few days ago. When adjacent businesses were asked if they knew anything about M Tarcic they just said that place was being remodeled.
The supposed "inventor" of this miracle potion is an Israeli scientist named Hanan Elraz whose products have been deemed "hazardous" by Israeli health authorities.
The Israeli embassy claims to have no say in Israeli companies' dealings with Guatemala, despite their embassador being present during a conference where representatives of M Tarcic defended their million-dollar product.
Guatemalan Scientists and professors from a prestigious local university had expressed their opposition to the application of this "formula" without further research but were ignored. They also expressed their intention to get more information on Hanan Eraz.
Meanwhile, there seems to be no budget for things like medical supplies at public hospitals, no salaries for public school teachers. It's not that we wouldn't want to save the lake, but Guatemalan people are sure this is a scam and that someone's just going to pocket the 18M and not have to answer for it while more pressing needs are ignored. The consensus among professionals is that it's not as easy as applying a miracle formula to clean this lake.