The International Centre for Trade Union Rights

COLOMBIA BULLETIN 17: 4 December 2003

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During the past month ICTUR has received the following reports from Colombia, including serious violations of trade union rights:
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14 October: In Espinal, Tolima Department, Eduardo Hernandez Cabrera, a leader of the Espinal public sector workers' union was stopped and detained in a 'land cruiser' vehicle that was then driven away with the union leader inside. The union has since been unable to locate Eduardo Hernandez Cabrera, but they believe that the security forces are responsible for the detention.

14 October: In Villavicencio, Meta Department, Rocio del Pilar Hernandez Cabrera, the sister of Eduardo Hernandez Cabrera (see above) and herself a member and activist of the Espinal public sector workers' union, was arrested and has since been held in detention by the police. Rocio del Pilar Hernandez Cabrera has since been moved to Espinal, were she is now being held.

30 October: The wife of Heberth Suarez, President of Cali section of the food workers' union SINTRAINAL, received a threatening phone call. The callers announced that they would kill the trade unionist. Heberth Suarez is an employee of the Cali bottling plant that produces Coca Cola. SINTRAINAL is currently in dispute with the company over the closure of several Colombian bottling plants.

30 October: Domingo Tovar Arritea, Director of the Human Rights Department of the Colombian trade union federation CUT, received a telephone call to his mobile phone and was told: "You will pay for the defeat of The Referendum with your life". The CUT was publicly and constitutionally at the forefront of the 'Active Abstention' campaign against the Referendum of the President. Domingo Tovar was one of the promoters of the campaign. This threat comes just days after the District Court of Cundinamarca awarded compensation to Domingo Tovar and declared the Ministry of Defence, the National Army and the Public Prosecutor responsible for damages following from the unjust imprisonment of Domingo Tovar on 12 February 1994.

3 November: Pacheco Eerto Fiholl, a teacher and member of the teachers union EDUMAG-FECODE, was assassinated in the municipality of Pueblo Viejo, Magdalena Department.

5 November: Nubia Estela Castro, a teacher and member of the teachers union EDUMAG-FECODE, was assassinated in the municipality of Tenerife, Magdalena Department.

12 November: 150 members of the health workers' union ANTHOC occupied the offices of the Ministry for Social Protection. The trade unionists say that their campaign is in defence of public services, claiming that the State has generated a humanitarian crisis by neglecting hospitals and using public funds to pay off debt and to pay for war.

12 November: Zuly Esther Colina Perez, a leader of the national social security workers' union SINDESS, was assassinated in the city of Santa Marta, Magdalena Department. This atrocity took place as comrade Zuly was leaving her home at 7.30am on her way to work at the Central Hospital Central.

13 November: An assassination attempt was made against the life of Berta Lucy Davila, a member of the teachers' union SER-FECODE. She is now seriously injured in hospital in Pereira.

16 November: in the city of Saravena, Arauca Department, Mario Sierra Anaya, leader of the local section of the public services union INCORA-SINTRADIN, was assassinated. Unknown armed assailants entered his home and murdered him.

17 November: Miguel Angel Anaya Torres, leader of the local municipal workers' union ECASS, was assassinated in the city of Saravena, Arauca Department. Unknown armed assailants entered his home and murdered him.

26 November: a leaflet was sent by post to the offices of the national public university workers' union SINTRAUNICOL in Bogota (dated 11 November 2003 and signed by the AUC paramilitary organisation). Specific threats were made against the following individuals:
§ José Munera, President of the national public university workers' union SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Antonio Florez, inter- trades union Secretary and member of the Human Rights Commission of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Luis Otalvaro, General Secretary of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Elizabeth Montoya, President of the Medelllin section of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Norberto Moreno, a regional leader of the Medelllin branch of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Bessi Pertuz, Vice President and Director of the Human Rights Commission of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Luis Ernesto Rodríguez, President of the Bogota section of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Alvaro Vélez, Regional President of SINTRAUNICOL Montería;
§ Mario José López Puerto, Treasurer of the SINTRAUNICOL
§ Alvaro Villarmizar, President of the Santander section of SINTRAUNICOL Santander;
§ Eduardo Camacho, a leader of the Tolima section of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Pedro Galeano, a leader of the Tolima section of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Ana Milena Cobos, Human Rights Secretary of the Fusagasuga section of SINTRAUNICOL;
§ Carlos Gonzalez, Human Rights Secretary of the Valle section of SINTRAUNICOL
§ Ariel Díaz, 'Fiscal' of the Valle section of SINTRAUNICOL

The letter also threatened the Management Committee of several other trade unions including ANTHOC, USO, UNEB, SINDESENA, and SINTRAUNICOL.

30 November: the Colombian Association of lorry drivers ACC, began a national strike. Their demands included pay, conditions and fuel prices.

During November: the trade union of SINTRAINAL denounced the management of food company Productos Roma SA for what they described as violations of labour rights. The union complains of excessive working hours that it believes are causing health and safety problems.

30 November: Carlos de la Rosa Elles, Treasurer of the public transport workers' union SINTRAATANTICO was assassinated at 5.00am on her way to work in Barranquilla, the capital city of Atlantico Department. SINTRAATANTICO is currently in dispute with the company Transportes Atlantico because the company refuses to recognise the trade union.

During November: the Colombian mine workers' union SINTRAMINERCOL, denounced the Colombian government of Alvaro Uribe and the mining multinationals following a government order to liquidate the whole state mining sector. The union fears that companies accused of complicity in serious human rights violations against workers and mining communities will take control of Colombia's mineral resources. In Colombian mining municipalities between 1995 and 2002 there was an annual average of 828 murders, 142 forced disappearances, 117 cases of wounding, 71 cases of torture, 355 death threats, 150 arbitrary detentions, and 433 massacres which together with extra-judicial executions. This amounted to a total of 6,626 murders in the space of eight years. 68 percent of forced displacements in the country occur in the areas of greatest mineral production.

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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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END
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Appeal
Over the last year the International Centre for Trade Union Rights has made work on Colombia a priority for its activities and has developed a defined programme of activities, led by respected Colombian lawyer Miguel Puerto who is employed by ICTUR in London. This work has involved publishing reports, organising meetings for Colombian trade unionists, liasing with other NGOs and generally raising the profile of the dreadful situation for trade union activists and leaders in Colombia.

ICTUR desperately needs additional financial resources if we are to continue our work on Colombia. ICTUR makes no qualms about its partizan support of labour rights and trade unionists and this can sometimes make it difficult to secure institutional funding. We are therefore reliant on organisations and individuals providing donations to support our work. As well as salary and travel costs, the project has publishing costs, and the costs of supporting Colombian trade unionists when they are in Europe. We need to raise £9,000 (approx. US $14,000) by the end of the year.

Please give generously. You can donate online or send a cheque (payable to 'IUR' to ICTUR's international office (the address is at the foot of this page).

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