The International Centre for Trade Union Rights

COLOMBIA BULLETIN 24: 9 September 2004

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

During past month ICTUR has received the following reports from Colombia, including serious violations of trade union rights:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4 August: Nilson Severino Franco Ortega, nephew of Rafael Esquivel Ortega, the national attorney of the foodworker's union Sinaltrainal, was kidnapped by four armed men in the city of Andalucía Valle.

On the same day, Emidio Prado Trujillo, brother of Carlos Prado Trujillo and Álvaro Prado Trujillo, respectively treasurer of the Barranquilla branch of Sinaltrainal and treasurer of Cali Yumbo Valle branch of metalworkers' union Sintraime was also kidnapped.

10 August: Luis Galindo, a leader of the peasant farmers' association of Tolima, was murdered by paramilitaries in the municipality of Libano, department of Tolima.

10 August: in the context of the dispute between Coca-Cola and the National Food Workers' Union Sinaltrainal, Martha Lucia Castaño de González, an official of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, authorised the firm to de-recognise the union. This decision violates article 39 of the Constitution.

11 August: Wilmar Alexander Cetina, president of the health workers' union of Arauquita, and Juan Carlos Rueda, a member of the union, were detained by the police in Arauca.

27 August: According to a report from Congress representative and former trade union leader Alexander Lopez, an investigation by the Attorney General's Office has discovered that the Colombian army supplied secret information to a private international security consultancy. The company Consultoria Integral Latinoamericana was apparently investigating members of the political opposition, trade union and social movement leaders, and human rights defenders as part of 'Operation Dragon' together with the army, the Superintendent of Public Services; the management of Cali Municipal Corporation-Emcali; the Intelligence Service of the National Police; the National Elictrical Finance Body; the Ministry of the Interior; the Administrative Security Department and the Cali Metropolitan Police.

2 September: the Colectivo de Abogados 'José Alvear Restrepo' received information that the Administrative Department of Security was organising an operation aimed at human rights lawyer Diana Teresa Sierra Gomez, member of the Colectivo, in the airport of Bogotá. The Collective is an organisation of lawyers that fights for the defence of trade union rights in Colombia.

3 September: Luis Alfonso Gutiérrez, son of Luis Alfonso Gutierrez, one of the leaders of the Arauca Peasants Association ACA, was detained, ill-treated and accused of being a member of the ELN, by members of the army battalion Navas Pardo in Arauca.

6 September: the Fiscalia (prosecutor) issued an arrest warrant for three soldiers involved in the death of the three union leaders in Arauca. The Fiscalia reached the conclusion that the victims had not tried to escape and had not opened fire to the soldiers, as the authorities had claimed.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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 1 566 2071
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: 00 57 1 566 2386
E-mail: fsantos@presedencia.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 1 566 3234
E-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

END
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

To receive the ICTUR Colmbia urgent action bulletin by email every fortnight please enter your email address below and click 'submit', or email us directly on ictur@ictur.org.