Story By: Maja Mishevksa, Sub Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A controversial ‘healer’ in Spain is being investigated for organising a kissing and hugging party to prove that their Trump-like bleach cure works against coronavirus.
The Spanish media has called the meeting, which took place in Balaguer, in the eastern Spanish province of Lleida, ‘a kissing and hugging party’.
This region of Spain is reportedly still in phase 1, which means only meetings of up to ten people are allowed.
The gathering was comprised of approximately 100 people who met up to discuss the use of MMS (Miracle Mineral Supplement), a solution made by mixing sodium chlorite solution with an acid such as the juices of citrus fruits.
Sodium chlorite is a chemical compound mainly used to generate chlorine dioxide for bleaching and stripping of textiles, pulp, and paper and as a disinfectant to clean water as it destroys bacteria, viruses and some types of parasites.
On 23rd April, in a White House briefing, President Trump suggested that both ultraviolet light and disinfectant could be used to treat the coronavirus in humans, although he did not make any mention of MMS in particular.
The gathering was organised by Josep Pamies, a long-time activist, herbalist and farmer, who reportedly sent a letter to the Pope and Trump to inform them about the ‘remedy’ for coronavirus.
His letter was reportedly sent to the US president before Trump spoke about investigating if coronavirus could be avoided by drinking disinfectant.
Pamies, who defends the use of alternative medicines and organic farming, told local media that the event was an act of civil disobedience in protest of lockdown rules as they believe the government is spreading misinformation about the pandemic.
Local media report that Pamies said they were ready “to act like guinea pigs, to be infected and show that MMS cures it”.
Pamies has worked in agriculture all his life and says he became an activist when his family and many members of his village became sick from using pesticides, which led him on an investigation during which he discovered the benefits of medicinal plants.
The farmer, who has gone on hunger strikes, set up roadblocks against trucks carrying pesticides and was discovered by police growing medical marijuana, defends the use of MMS as a remedy for coronavirus as well as Aids and Autism.
Spanish medical authorities say the claims lack scientific backing and MMS is currently banned in the country.
Local authorities say they had already opened an investigation against Pames for sharing the use of this remedy during the pandemic.
Pamies has in the past been fined 600,000 EUR (534,000 GBP) by the regional government for claiming that MMS could cure autism.
Pamies runs an association called La Dulce Revolucion (The Sweet Revolution), which he uses to share information about alternative medicine.
For many people in Spain, the farmer is a hero for his bravery in speaking up against the system and Pharmaceutical companies and for his work highlighting the benefits of medicinal plants.
The Dulce Revolucion shared a post on their Facebook page on the 12th April saying: “Those who know the success that Chlorine dioxide is having to cure hundreds of cases of COVID-19 we are making a call out to health workers and patients who can corroborate this and share your story with us.”
The post received over 300 comments, many of which say they had successfully used MMS to treat or prevent Covid-19 such as social media user ‘Carlos Morgade’ who wrote: “The truth is I had COVID-19 and cured it with MMS.”
The investigation is ongoing and so far no arrests have been made.
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