[Marxism] Colombia: 10 trade unionists murdered since the beginning of the year

[Greg McDonald <sabocat59@xxxxxxx>]

The Center for International Policy published the first account of  
the assassination of 6 Colombian organizers of the March 6 protest in  
Colombia. This information was then picked up by Borev.  I fired off  
a copy to Eric Lee over at LabourStart and they included the article  
in their nation-by-nation news survey.  And here is the latest:

GregMcD


International Trade Union Confederation

Colombia: 10 trade unionists murdered since the beginning of the year

Brussels, 20 March 2008: The International Trade Union Confederation  
is extremely concerned that there has been no let up in the murders,  
attempted murders and death threats in Colombia and that the  
authorities appear to be no nearer to carrying out a full  
investigation into the crimes committed almost daily against the  
trade union movement.

The constant harassments, threats and attacks on trade union leaders  
have created an exceptionally difficult climate. So far this year,  
ten workers have paid with their lives for being trade unionists and  
for fighting to improve the lot of the Colombian working class. The  
murdered trade unionists come from all sectors, including teachers,  
bank and health workers. On 2 February José Martín Duarte Acero of  
the SINTRAMBIENTE union affiliated to the CGT was shot in the back  
while working in the Macarena National Park. He died a few minutes  
after telling his family what had happened on his cell phone.

Rafael Boada, president of the Bucaramanga branch of the UNEB bank  
workers’ union, was the target of an armed attack on 7 March. Two  
individuals on a motorbike shot at him twice, hitting his windscreen.  
Fortunately he escaped unharmed. He had already received several  
death threats.

Ironically, several of the murders took place around the march “For  
the Dignity of Victims” held in Colombia on 6 March with the support  
of the trade union movement as a tribute to—and in solidarity with— 
all the victims of arbitrary violence and the armed conflict and of  
course the families of the 2,574 assassinated trade unionists; with  
the over four million displaced persons, most of whom have lost all  
their land and possessions; with the10,000 disappeared; with the  
hundreds of kidnap victims and with the thousands of victims of  
massacres and selective killings.

In a letter to President Uribe (ES - pdf) on behalf of the ITUC, the  
organisation’s general secretary, Guy Ryder, urges him to carry out a  
full investigation into all the crimes and, above all, to take all  
necessary security measures to ensure that the death threats are not  
carried out. The same events were described in an official complaint  
by the ITUC to the International Labour Organisation against the  
Government of Colombia for repeated violations of freedom of  
association.

“There must be an end to all harassment of trade union members,” says  
Guy Ryder. “Those responsible must be identified and tried by a  
competent and impartial court. The sanctions foreseen by law must be  
applied to ensure that such crimes cannot be committed with impunity  
and that Colombia workers can exercise their rights freely without  
putting their lives in danger.”

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and  
territories and has 311 national affiliates.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32  
2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018

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