The International Centre for Trade Union Rights

COLOMBIA BULLETIN 13: 28 August 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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In June and July: the communication company SERVIENTREGA S.A was accused of anti-union activities in order to block the creation and registration of a new company-level trade union at its Bogota office. According to the union more than 30 people have been dismissed because of their efforts to support the creation of the new union.

31 July: Armed men visited the home of Euclides Gómez, a trade union official of the banana workers' union, SINTRAINAGRO. The men arrived at his home in Ciénaga, Magdelana Department at night. Fortunately Sr. Gómez was not at home. The international foodworkers' union, IUF, believe that Sr. Gómez would now be dead if he had been at home.

31 July: The daughter of Jose Moises Luna Rondon, a member and activist of the university teachers association ASPU, received a threatening phone call from unknown persons who advised that her father should stay away from social and political activities. Later that day Jose Moises Luna Rondon's wife also received a threatening call.

4 August: An unknown motorcyclist with blacked-out number plates shouted threats to the wife of Jose Moises Luna Rondon, a member and activist of the university teachers association ASPU, when she opened the window at their home in Monteria, Cordoba Department. The motorcyclist said that the trade unionist had an appointment with a colleague who had been murdered some years previously.

6 August: The Colombian bottling company Coca-Cola FEMSA has filed a law suit against persons unknown seeking compensation for harm done to the company's image and reputation. Luis Javier Correa and other officers of the foodworkers' union SINALTRAINAL have been summoned to give evidence by the prosecutor's office.

10 August: The Secretary of the Sabanalarga branch of the health workers' union ANTHOC was murdered just days after issuing a report which denounced cases of corruption in the national health sector.

11 August: Carlos Hernández, president of the Atlantic section of the health workers' union ANTHOC was forced to leave the country and seek political asylum in response to a tide of death threats following ANTHOC's denunciation of corruption in the national health sector.

12 August: Aleyda Rico Álvarez was assassinated in All Saints of San Pedro, a village in Valle del Cauca Department. She was the sister of Carlos Ancizar Rico, President of the peasant farmers' organisation ACC and an Executive Committee member of the CGTD federation.

13 August: Trade unions participated in a national day of protest against unemployment, privatisation and company restructuring. Several demonstrators, including trade union members, were arrested while many more complained of injuries resulting from the use of tear gas by the police.

15 August: A written death threat was found in the offices of the Barrancabermeja branch of the oil workers' trade union USO. The threat targeted three USO officers Mauricio Alvarez, Victor Jaimes, Juvencio Serpa and Elkin Menco.

21 August: in a joint operation by the Attorney General's Office, the army and the intelligence agencies DAS and CTI, houses belonging to trade unionists and social leaders in the Arauca Department were raided. Among those arrested:

Blanca Segura, President of the teachers' union SINTRENA;
Luis Jesus Rodriguez: an official of the government workers' union INCORA;
Alonso Campiño Bedoya, the Vice President of the Arauca CUT;
William Jimenez, a member of the Saravena municipal workers' union;
Diogenes Alberto Contreras Suarez, a member of the government workers' union INCORA;
Fabio Gomez, a member of the building workers' union;
Orlando Paez, a member of CUT Saravena;
Eliseo Duran, a member of the building workers' union;
Manuel Dorores Franco, a member of the bus drivers' trade union COOTRASARARE;
Jhonny Omar Diaz, a member of the CUT Arauca Committee;
Jose Lopez, a member of the health workers' union ANTHOC.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for the following trade unionists:
Samuel Morales, President of the CUT Saravena.
Leonel Goyeneche, an officer of the CUT Saravena.
Alberto Paez, an officer of the CUT Saravena.
Jorge Prieto, President of the health workers' union ANTHOC Saravena.

Responding to the arrests trade unions have protested against the use of force and threats during the raids. Alonso Campiño Bedoya, the Vice President of the Arauca CUT, claims that he was threatened with a gun when he was arrested. His wife and son were with him at the time. His wife was then told to sign a declaration that he had received 'good treatment'.

The offices of many other social organisations were also raided, and human rights groups are circulating the details of many social activists who were arrested alongside the trade unionists.

Those arrested are expected to remain in detention for months, even up to two years, before their cases are heard by a competent court. ICTUR has been informed of many occasions where trade unionists arrested on similar charges have been released immediately upon their cases coming to trial. ICFTU's internationally respected 'Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights 2003' described the arrests in 2002 of some 132 Colombian trade unionists as 'arbitrary'. The absence from Saravena of these dedicated leaders will have a serious impact upon the social framework of the town and surrounding region.

22 August: Juan Carlos Galvis, President of the Barrancabermeja branch of the foodworkers' union SINALTRAINAL, was attacked by armed men on motorcycles in broad daylight as he was been driven home. Fortunately the attempted assassination failed and Juan Carlos Galvis is still alive.

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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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