To receive the ICTUR Colombia bulletin by email every three months please email us directly at miguel@ictur.org. Type the words 'subscribe - Colombia bulletin' in the subject box. To stop receiving the bulletin reply with the words 'unsubscribe - Colombia bulletin' in the subject box. More information (including a Spanish language edition of the bulletin) is available online at: www.ictur.org.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Two years since the Trade Union Rights Centre began its work in Colombia in association with the Lawyers’ Collective José Alvear Restrepo (‘CAJAR’) we are pleased to be able to share with you details of important cases that the TURC lawyers have won. 

Making a real difference
Some successful cases show that, even with only the limited resources of the TURC, it is possible break the vicious cycle of impunity.  Of the more than eighty cases that TURC is handling the following successful actions can be demonstrated: 

• The sentencing of an official of the Colombian army and several soldiers to 40 years imprisonment for the murder of three trade union leaders in the Arauca region (2004). The Unit struck a blow against impunity when it succeeded in its argument before the court;

• The dismissal from the armed services and disqualification from public office for a period of 20 years of Colonel Luis Francisco Medina Corredor, then commander of the Army’s Special Forces, following his alleged involvement in the murder of the three trade unionists;

• The release from arbitrary detention of five trade unionists and their acquittal from all charges: Dora Lizcano (ANTHOC); Ledy del Carmen Parada Reyes (Asonal Judicial); Ilma Julia Baptista (SINACOMBI); Miguel Angel Duran Duran (FECODE); and Edgar Botero Cárdenas (Sintraelecol);

• The securing of compensation for the families of murdered trade union leaders Jose Ortega (CUT) and Luis Jose Mendoza Manjares (ASPU) following a finding by the courts that the State had failed in its duty to protect their lives;

• The sentencing to 40 years of imprisonment for policeman Carlos Alberto Monroy Rodriguez after the court found him guilty of the murder of Jorge Dario Hoyos, a leader of the Sintrainagro trade union in Cundinamarca.  It was later reported that Monroy Rodriguez escaped from prison and joined the paramilitary organisations.

In addition, The Unit has made successful applications for Medidas Precautelares (protection orders) from the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights.  These orders require the Colombian authorities to ensure that individuals at risk are protected against threats.  

In order to accomplish this vital work with only small amounts of funding ICTUR has drawn upon its networks of legal expertise, on the expertise of its staff and officers, and on the skills of the CAJAR lawyers collective in Colombia. We have been fortunate to secure funding from a number of trade unions, human rights organisations, and lawyers groups, and we would like to express our thanks in particular to: LO (Norway); UNISON (UK); SEIU (USA); IMPACT (Ireland); CAW (Canada); CEP (Canada); Amnesty International (UK); UNI (International); Garden Court barristers’ chambers (UK); Matrix barristers’ chambers (UK); IMF metalworkers (International).

However, if we are to continue to carry out this work over the year ahead we urgently need your support and I urge you to consider whether your organisation can assist us by funding this vital work.  With your help, now, this is the real opportunity to make a difference.  Contact me, Miguel Puerto on Miguel@ictur.org to discuss how your organisation can help our work, or visit www.ictur.org/payment.htm to make a donation via the online payment system PayPal.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

During the period between September to December 2008, ICTUR received the following reports from Colombia, including serious violations of trade union rights:

18 September: Gilberto Martínez, a member of the national executive committee of the trade union centre CUT and ten leaders from the health workers’ union ANTHOC and the rural workers’ union FENSUAGRO (Ángel Salas, Juan Mendoza, Miguel Bobadilla, Heberto Díaz, Luis Sandoval,  Omar Hernández,  Viviana Ortiz, Alberto Betancourt, Álvaro Londoño and Yesid  Camacho) were sent death threats signed by paramilitary groups. 

17 October: members of the oil workers’ union USO and their families participated in a peaceful demonstration in the city of Villavicencio, Department of Meta. Police broke up the demonstration using tear gas and bullets. During the events, the union activist Jorge Martinez was injured and detained by the police.

17 October:  Luís Eduardo García, Gerson Mantilla, Limberto Carranza, Edgar Páez, Abel Aguilar, Ricardo Rodríguez, Edwin Molina and Santos Dean, all members of the foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL, were arbitrarily arrested for many hours by the police, in the city of Palmira, in the department of Valle del Cauca.

17 October: Rául Antonio Chacón Lennis, a member of the foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL, was arrested in the town of Cerrito, in the Department of Valle.

17 October: Álvaro Vega, President of the Valle region of the trade union centre CUT, and Wilson Sáenz, Human Rights Director for the regional CUT centre, were followed by unknown peoples on several occasions in the city of Cali, Department of Valle.

4 November: Guillermo Díaz, President of the local general workers’ union SINTRAOVA, was detained by the police along with various other human rights and social leaders, in the town of Arauquita in Arauca Department.

22 November: The Arauca branch of the CUT was attacked with explosives, causing serious damages but no victims.

12 December: William Rubio Ortiz, a member of the environment workers’ union SINTRAMBIENTE (CGT), was assassinated in the town of Santander de Quilichao, in the Department of Cauca.

5 January: Cecilia Montano, the wife of the local president of ANTHOC Jorge Caicedo, was victim to an attempt against her life. The attack took place in the town of Tumaco south of Colombia.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ICTUR has written to the Colombian authorities to protest against the continuing violations of trade union rights. ICTUR insists that the authorities must 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
Carrera 8A No. 5-57, Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: +57 1 334 4507 / 772 0130
E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

Minister of the Interior and Justice
Fabio Valencia Cossio
Palacio Echeverry, Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o., Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: +57 1 560 4630
E-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co

Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario.
Dr.  Carlos Franco
Calle 7 N° 5-54
TEL: (+571) 336.03.11
FAX: (+57 1)  337.46.67
E- mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co

Representante Permanente de la OIT en Colombia
Dr. Marcelo Castro Fox
Dirección: Av. 82. No. 12-18 Oficina: 504.
Teléfono: 623 75 86.
Bogotá D.C. E-mail: castrofox@oit.org.pe

Procuraduría General de la Nación
Dr.  Alejandro Ordonez
Carrera 5 No. 15-80
Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+57 1)342.97.23
E-mail: reygon@procuraduria.gov.co