The International Centre for Trade Union Rights

COLOMBIA BULLETIN 14: 16 September 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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25 August: David Ravelo Crespo, an elected local politician, received a threatening phone call. The call was directed at Juan Carlos Galvis, President of the Barrancabermeja branch of the foodworkers' union SINALTRAINAL.

26 August: Carlos A. Gonzalez, Treasurer of the Cali branch of the university workers' union SINTRAUNICOL, received a threatening letter signed by the AUC paramilitary organisation. The letter branded the trade union as a puppet of the guerrillas, and officials of SINTRAUNICOL are now in fear that they may be harassed or attacked.

31 August: graffiti threatening a 'final death sentence' to trade unionists appeared on a wall in front of the municipal water workers' union ECASS in Saravena, Arauca Department. The graffiti specifically refers to ECASS activists.

2 September: Three peasant farmers, Cesar Augusto Fonseca, Jose Rafael Fonseca Cassiani and Ramon Fonseca Cassiani, who were brothers and members of the peasant farmers' union SINTRAGRICOLAS (FENSUAGRO), were kidnapped and murdered. Their mutilated corpses were discovered in a mass grave some days later.

4 September: Very early that morning the wife of Juan Carlos Galvis, President of the Barrancabermeja branch of the foodworkers' union SINALTRAINAL, received a threatening phone call from unknown person.

8 September: The Colombian President launched an extraordinary attack on human rights defenders in the country by describing them as 'terrorist sympathisers' who should stop 'hiding behind their mask of human rights'. International human rights agencies have expressed profound dismay at the President's choice of words. A representative of Amnesty International explained that the outburst would only serve to 'sow doubt about the legitimacy of human rights work'.

10 September: the 15 year old son of Limberto Carranza, a member of the foodworkers' union SINALTRAINAL, was snatched from his bicycle by four masked men and hidden in a nearby vehicle in the city of Barranquilla, Atlantico Department. The child says that the men tortured him and that they kept asking for his father. At this time a death threat was telephoned to the family home. Some hours after his abduction the boy was abandoned outside of the city.

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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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