The International Centre for Trade Union Rights ('ICTUR')
COLOMBIA BULLETIN: August 2008

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During the period between May to August 2008, ICTUR received the following reports from Colombia, including serious violations of trade union rights: During this year (2008), the Colombian trade unions reported 40 unionists who have been assassinated. Alongside death threats, illegal arrests and armed attacks, human rights violations against Colombian trade unionists have increased substantially when compared with this period last year.

On 28 August the ICTUR / CAJAR Trade Union Rights Centre in Colombia struck a blow against impunity when it succeeded in its argument before the ‘Procuraduría’ disciplinary body which went on to order that Colonel Luis Francisco Medina Corredor, current commander of the Army’s Special Forces, be dismissed from the armed services and disqualified from holding public office for 20 years following his alleged involvement in the murder of three trade unionists.
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1 May: José Domingo Florez and Luis Eduardo García, both members of the foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL, received death threats signed by paramilitary groups. The threats were delivered when SINTRAINAL was engaged in collective bargaining with a Coca Cola bottling plant.

5 May: Jesús Tovar Castro, Vice-president of the Atlántico region of the trade union centre CUT, José Rodríguez, leader of the university workers’ union SINTRAUNICOL, Nicolás Castro an Executive member of CUT Atlántico, Edgar Púa, a member of the health workers’ union, Gustavo López, former executive member of the university lecturer’s union ASPU, Domingo Tovar Arrieta, Director of the Human Rights Department of the national trade union centre CUT, and José Humberto Torres, a human rights lawyer, received death threats signed by the paramilitary Group.

9 May: 11 workers who joined the Cali branch of the university workers’ union SINTRAUNICOL were dismissed by their employer the University of San Buena Ventura in the Valle del Cauca Department. The dismissals were a clear violation of the Constitution, Colombian labour law, and the ILO conventions ratified by Colombia.

27 May: 60 workers from the mining company CARBOSAN in Santa Marta, Magdalena Department, recently created a local branch of the mineworkers’ union SINTRAMINERGETICA. After taking care of all legal proceedings the Ministry for Social Protection decided to deny registration of the union, in clear violation of the National Constitution, the law of Colombia, and the ILO conventions ratified by Colombia.

11 June: David Flórez, President of the Santander region of the trade union centre CUT, Javier Correa, National President of the foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL, Cesar Plazas, Treasurer of CUT Santander, Martha Cecilia Díaz, President of the Santander public workers’ union ASTDEMP, Fernando Porras, Human Rights officer of CUT Santander, Cesar Tamayo, leader of the Santander region of the agriculture workers’ union FENSUAGRO, William Rivera, a member of the SUDEVI union, and Nohora Villamizar, leader of the Santander region of the teachers’ union, received death threats signed by the paramilitary groups.

13 June: Favier Dario Pelaez Castaño, a member of the prison officers’ union ASEINPEC, was assassinated in the town of Caicedonia, Valle del Cauca Department. The union is affiliated to the CGT Colombia.

17 June: The home of Joaquin Romero, President of the mineworkers’ union SINTRARNERGETICA, was raided and searched by police without lawful authority.

18 June: Leaders of the Barrancabermeja branche of the oil workers’ unions USO and ADECO, in Santander department, received death threats signed by the paramilitary groups.

19 June: Walter Aníbal Recalde Ordóñez, a local leader of the prison officers’ union ASEINPEC, was assassinated when was leaving his place of work in the city of Buga, Valle del Cauca Department. The union is affiliated to the CGT Colombia.

19 June: Belcy Rincón, staff secretary of the health workers’ union SINTRACLINICAS, received death threats signed by the paramilitary groups.

3 July: María Victoria de la Cruz, president of the regional health workers’ union ANTHOC, was arbitrary arrested in the town of Baranoa, Atlantic Department.

9 de Julio: Martha Cecilia Diaz Suarez, daughter of the President of the Santander public sector workers’ union ASTEMP, found an envelope left in her school bag containing death threats against her father signed by paramilitary groups. The same day death threats against union activists David Florez, Javier Correa, Cesar Plazas, Martha Cecilia Díaz, Fernando Porras, Cesar Tamayo, William Rivera, Gustavo Mendoza, Carolina Rubio and Nohora Villamizar were delivered to the Santander headquarters of ASTEMP

16 July; Guillermo Rivera Fúquene, President of the Tolima public sector workers’ union SINSERPUB, who had been ‘disappeared’ since 22 April 2008, was found dead in the city of Ibague.

3 August: Ruby Castaño, a member of the agricultural workers’ union FENSUAGRO, received death threats from a person who was waiting outside of her office.

13 August: Manuel Erminson Gamboa Meléndez, a member of the agricultural workers’ union FENSUAGRO, was assassinated by paramilitary groups, in the town Puerto Asís, Putumayo Department.

23 August: José Omar Galeano Martínez, President of Colombian National Lotto Trade Union Federation FECOLOC, was assassinated in the city of Buga, Valle del Cauca Department.

26 August: Alexander Blanco Rodríguez, a member of the oil workers’ union USO, was assassinated in the town of Cantagallo in Bolívar Department.

24 August, Pablo Florez Barrera, a member of the mineworkers’ union SINTRAMIENERGETICA, was assassinated in the city of Santa Marta, Magdalena Department.

24 August, Jesús Escorcia Cortes, legal adviser of Drummond’s workers, was assassinated in the city of Barranquilla, Atlantic Department.

28 August: Another blow against impunity has been won by the ICTUR / CAJAR Trade Union Rights Centre in Colombia. The TURC pursues cases following serious human rights violations against trade unionists, utilising civil as well as criminal courts, and also placing evidence before military supervisory forums and disciplinary hearings.

In the present case the Procuraduría (a quasi-judicial disciplinary body that exercises a supervisory role over those with public authority) has ordered that Colonel Luis Francisco Medina Corredor, current commander of the Army’s Special Forces, be dismissed from the armed services and disqualified from holding public office for 20 years.

The decision said that the officer incurred serious breaches of International Humanitarian Law for his alleged involvement in the killing of trade union leaders Jorge Prieto Chamucero, President of the Arauca health workers union ANTHOC, Leonel Goyeneche, Treasurer of the Arauca branch of the trade union centre CUT, and Hector Alirio Martinez, President of the peasant farmers’ association ADUC.
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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 - 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
Carlos Holguin Sardi - 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

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
E-mail: fibarra@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.  Edgardo José Maya Villazón
Carrera 5 No. 15-80
Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+57 1)342.97.23
E-mail: reygon@procuraduria.gov.co; anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co

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