The International Centre for Trade Union Rights ('ICTUR')
COLOMBIA BULLETIN: July – September 2006

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During the period between July to September 2006, ICTUR received the following reports from Colombia, including serious violations of trade union rights:
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23 June: Jorge Guillen Leal, a member of the chemical workers’ union SINTRAQUIMICA was assassinated in Barrancabermeja. The unionist worked for the Fertiliser Company of Colombia S.A. and was member of the Local Executive Committee of his trade union.

27 June: Elfrén Alonso Motta Acosta, a teacher member of the Naraiño teachers’ union was ‘disappeared’. The teacher worked at the Rural School Bellavista, in the city of Samaniego (Nariño Department).

03 June: Humberto Navarro Ribon, a teacher member of the Valledupar teachers’ union ADUCESAR, was assassinated.

6 July: Francisco Ernesto Garcia, a teacher member of the Cauca teachers’ union SIMANA union, was assassinated in the town of Samaniego (Cauca Department).

7 July: Trade unions are greatly concerned by the discovery of an internal document apparently from the Colombian subsidiary of the Spanish energy company Union FENOSA. The document alleges that 65 percent of the 450,000 members of CUT belong to the extreme political left and claims that trade unions in Colombia are overrun by guerrillas.

The labelling of trade union and social leaders as guerrilla sympathisers by paramilitaries and corrupt public officials leave trade unionists vulnerable to violent attacks and have contributed to the appalling human rights situation in which more than 4000 trade unionists affiliated to the CUT have been assassinated.

10 July: Iván Ñañez Muñoz, a member of the Bolivar teachers’ union was assassinated while on his way to work in the town of San Pablo, Bolivar Department.

12 July: Helber Orozco Pinzon, a member of the local teachers’ union ADEC was assassinated in the city of Bogota.

23 July: Luis Hernando Chirán, a member of the Nariño teachers’ union was ‘disappeared’. He was found dead six days later with visible signs of torture.

25 July: Maria Leticia Garcez Franky, a leader of the Valle teachers’ union SUTEV, was assassinated in the city of Cali.

25 July: The “Empresa Antioqueña de Energia”, a region energy company, was liquidated, leaving 850 employees out of a job. The liquidated company was handed over to a separate branch of the same company, called Energía Telecomunicaciones.

The company thus detached themselves from all of their employees registered with the Sintraelecol trade union, and have hired new, non-union workers, thereby lowering their labour costs.

27 July: Javier Pedroza de la Hoz, a member of the Atlántico teachers’ union ADEA, was assassinated in the city of Barranquilla.

3 August: the headquarters of foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL was searched by uniformed men who identified themselves as members of the intelligence services. This inspection had not been authorised by the courts.

5 August: Luz Marina García Martínez, a member of the Putumayo public sectors’ union ASEP, was assassinated in the town of Puerto Asís, Putumayo Department.

12 August: Abdon Goyeneche Goyeneche, President, and William Saenez, Director, both of the Arauca teachers’ association were arrested by members of the army along with Esaud Montero Triana, a member of the ANTHOC health workers’ union from the medical mission. At the same way other social and political leaders were arrested:

12 August: Oswaldo Rodríguez Morales, a member of the Bolivar drivers’ union SINCONTAXCAR, was assassinated in the city of Cartagena.

15 August: Martha Cecilia Diaz Suarez, President of the Bucaramanga section of public sector union ASTEMP, was forced into a vehicle, beaten, threatened and tortured. Ms Diaz was shown a photograph of her daughter and told that she had been killed (although she had not). When Ms Diaz was released she had damage to her eyes, a broken jaw and burns from gunshots fired next to her stomach.

17 August: Carlos Arturo Montes Bonilla, a local member of foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL was assassinated in the city of Barrancabermeja. He had worked as a caterer in the club of the state oil company ECOPETROL, for over 30 years and had just taken part in many union activities.

17 August: Fabián Martínez Roa, a member of the Norte de Santander teachers’ union, was assassinated.

19 August: Bertha Ines Agudelo Valencia, Secretary of Women and Family Matters with the Antioquia teachers’ union ADIDA, was assassinated in the town of Nariño, Antioquia Department.

22 August: Orlando Antonio Hernández, a member of the local public sector union SINTRAPALESTINA, was assassinated in the city of Arauca.

25 August: to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the state oil company ECOPETROL, the workers and communities of the Ecopetrol Centre in Barrancabermeja organised a peaceful march while taking the opportunity to voice their opinions on privatisation. The local police force blocked the march without any warning and launched tear gas while hitting several women, students and children.

26 August: The foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL has been organising sub-contracted and agency workers in the Coca-cola bottling plants of EFICA S.A. Workers at the plant complain that they do not have access to the same rights as directly employed workers and complain of poor conditions and frequent dismissals.

28 August: the National Unitary Command (the coordinating committee for the three national trade union confederations) accused the Government of violating the agreement made on June 2006 with the trade unions. The tripartite agreement, adopted in Geneva, guaranteed the protection of human rights, the right to life, freedom association and the right to collective bargaining. In opinion of the Colombian trade unions, the government violated this agreement by secretly liquidating the National Postal Administration and subsequently firing 1000 employees.

2 September: Ismael Monsalve Suarez, a member of the local trade union SINTROEPAR, was assassinated in the town of Arauquita (Arauca Department).

4 September: Luis Eduardo Cosme, a member of electricity workers’ union SINTRAELECOL, was assassinated in the town of Santander de Quilichao, (Cauca Deparment).

5 September: German Eduardo Solano, a member of the local teachers’ union ASEDAR, was assassinated in the city of Arauca.

10 September: Afranio Martínez, a member of the Magdalena trade unions’ teacher EDUMAG, was assassinated in the town of Ariguani (Magdalena Department).

13 September: Gregorio Izquierdo Meléndez, President of the Arauca public sector union SINTRAEMSERPA, was assassinated. He had previously been threatened by paramilitary groups.

El 17 September: Jorge Ivan Agudelo, a member of the local public sector union SINTRADEPARTAMENTO, was assassinated in the city of Medellín.

22 September: Jose Ignacio Amaya Ruiz, a member of the bank workers’ union ACEB, was assassinated in the city of Bogota, when he was on his way to work.
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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 1 337 5890
E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co;

Vicepresident of the Republic of Colombia
Francisco Santos - Consejeria Presidential de Derechos Humanos
Carrera 8A No. 5-57, Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: +57 1 334 4507 / 772 0130
E-mail: fsantos@presedencia.gov.co

Minister of the Interior and Justice
Sabas Pretelt de la Vega Ministerio del Interior y Justicia
Palacio Echeverry, Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o., Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: +57 1 560 4630
E-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co

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