The International Centre for Trade Union Rights

COLOMBIA BULLETIN 11: 15 July 2003

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During the past two weeks ICTUR has received the following reports from Colombia, including serious violations of trade union rights:
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16 June: Death threats were delivered to Sonia Jacqueline Morales Crespo, an Executive Member of the university workers' union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Universitarios in the city of Neiva, Huila Department. The threats were also directed at members of her family.

17 June: Orlando Fernandez Toro, an Executive Member of the public sector union Sintraemsdes, was assassinated in the city of Valledupar, Cesar Department.

25 June: Juan Mendoza Gamba, President of the agricultural workers' union SINPEAGRICUN (FENSUAGRO) was arrested and detained by state police in the city of Quipile, Cundinamarca Department. The trade union has protested this detention, declaring it to be 'illegal'.

3 July: Manuel Hoyos Montiel, President of the Atlantico general workers union UTRAL (CGTD) was the victim of an attempted assassination in Baranquilla, capital city of the Atlantico Department.

3 July: Rafael Angel Mesa Aguilar, Treasurer of the Segovia Antioquia branch of the public sector workers' union SINTRAOFAN, was assassinated by masked assailants at 11am in a rural junior school. His colleagues Carlos Mario Rivera and Omar Perez, both members of the SINTRAOFAN union, managed to escape. The three men were delivering desks to the pupils when they were attacked.

During June: Three Executive Members of the tire manufacturing workers' union at the Industria Colombiana de Llantas SA (a subsidiary of the multinational Michelin), Roque Rodriguez, Marco Diaz and Antonio Sanchez, received death threats.

15 July: The government has announced its intention to end the military occupation of oil industry sites as the state oil company ECOPETROL returns to the negotiating table with the oil workers' union USO. The army moved in to militarise refineries, pipelines and oil fields in June following the breakdown of negotiations.

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ICTUR has written to the Colombian authorities to protest against the continuing violations of trade union rights. ICTUR calls for an end to the aggression and insists that the authorities implement and ensure full respect for the international legal standards that protect freedom of association.

For more information contact ICTUR: miguel@ictur.org

If you want to take action in support of these cases you can send letters of protest to the Colombian authorities at the following addresses:

President of the Republic of Colombia
Dr. Alvaro Uribe Velez
Palacio de Narino, Carrera 8 No.7-26 Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: + 57 1 3375890 / 3420592
E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co; rdh@presidencia.gov.co

Vicepresident of the Republic of Colombia
Francisco Santos - Consejeria Presidential de Derechos Humanos
Calle 7, No 6-54, Piso 3 Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 00 57 1 337 1351 E-mail: mdn@cable.net.co; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co; siden@mindefensa.gov.co

Minister of the Interior and Justice
Fernando Londono Hoyos Ministerio del Interior y Justicia
Palacio Echeverry, Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o., Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax:00 57 1 286 8025 E-mail: mininterior@myrealbox.com

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