Watsonville activist nears end of monthlong hunger strike after brief hospitalization

Nearing the end of his monthlong hunger strike protesting the application of pesticides near schools in the Pajaro Valley, activist Omar Dieguez is recovering at home after being hospitalized due to intense stomach pain caused by malnutrition, but is determined to finish out his fast. 

“I’m just relaxing, and trying not to do too much right now,” he told Lookout on Monday morning. “I’m not in that much pain right now.” 

Dieguez, 48, began his fast at the beginning of the month to bring awareness to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure in the region. He, along with activists from the Watsonville-based Campaign for Organic Regenerative Agriculture (CORA), are pushing for Driscoll’s — the region’s largest berry grower — to convert all of its fields near schools and residential areas to organic ones. 

Driscoll’s has repeatedly directed Lookout to a statement posted to the company’s website: “We want to assure our local community that the use of pesticides, including their application near schools, is strictly regulated and closely monitored by multiple government agencies. This includes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR), and the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Offices,” the statement reads.

Last week, Dieguez had to check himself into Watsonville Community Hospital after feeling intense stomach pain for two days. There, doctors told him that he had a stomach infection due to malnourishment, Dieguez said; they prescribed him antibiotics and recommended that he stick to an all-liquid diet.

He told Lookout that he started feeling pain last Wednesday, and by Friday morning he couldn’t even register where the pain was coming from. “I just knew I had to go to the hospital,” Dieguez said. “I thought it was my kidneys at first. I didn’t know what it was, I just had to go to the hospital.” 

Dieguez has lost nearly 20 pounds since he started the hunger strike on Sept. 1, and more than 50 since he began preparing for the fast months ago. At that time, Dieguez weighed 248 pounds; today he weighs 196. He has also experienced trouble sleeping during the second half of his fast. 

Despite the health scare, Dieguez said he didn’t break his fast at all, and doctors informed him he was still in good shape to finish out the hunger strike, he said. The stomach pain isn’t as intense as it was a few days ago, Dieguez added. 

Earlier this month, Watsonville resident Providence Martinez Alaniz — who joined Dieguez on the hunger strike — was forced to end her fasting efforts after being hospitalized. Alaniz told Lookout that she had been severely dehydrated and given antibiotic pills for an infection in her kidneys. 

On Tuesday, the final day of his fast, Dieguez plans to speak at a news conference in Salinas with Safe Ag Safe Schools — a nonprofit coalition advocating for less pesticide use in the region — about a new study from public health scientists from UC Berkeley’s Center for Environmental Research and Community Health on the impacts of pesticide exposure among pregnant women. 

Dieguez has been visiting schools throughout the area and speaking with students about the harms of pesticide exposure and his 30-day hunger strike. He previously told Lookout that Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials are “blocking” him from speaking with high school students. 

He was scheduled to speak at both Watsonville and Pajaro Valley High Schools earlier this month, but both events were eventually canceled, Dieguez said. He added that Pajaro Valley High School Principal Todd Wilson had asked him to get fingerprinted, submit his presentation to the district for review and get permission slips from teachers. 

Dieguez said he was also asked by Wilson to invite Driscoll’s to show “both sides” of the pesticides issue. The berry growers did respond to the invitation, but declined to present alongside the activist, opting to speak at a different date, according to Dieguez. 

Despite him completing all of the district’s requirements, the school still canceled Dieguez’s presentation. PVUSD spokesperson Alejandro Chavez told Lookout that administrators and district officials are not trying to prevent or block Dieguez from speaking at schools, rather they are simply following district policy regarding controversial topics. 

Dieguez told Lookout that he’s still working to speak with students about pesticide harms. He believes the district’s decision to call off his presentations is a disservice to the students. A main goal throughout the month for Dieguez, who is a youth mentor for Santa Cruz-based Barrios Unidos, is to engage the younger generation and inspire them to call for change regarding pesticide use. 

“This is something that needs to be talked about,” he said. “Most of our community is suffering because of pesticides. This is not controversial.” 

As for the future, Dieguez told Lookout that the next hurdle is to keep the momentum going now that people are more aware of the harmful effects of pesticides. He added that he’s grateful for the support and the opportunity to bring attention to the issue. 

Going a month without food was not as hard as he thought it would be, he said, and he’s proud of what he’s been able to do throughout the experience. But for now, Dieguez says that he’s not interested in doing another hunger strike any time soon. 

“To me, it’s mission accomplished,” he said. “We kicked up some dirt, we brought awareness. We educated the people.” 

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