Recent Violence Against Trade Unionists

As of November 2009, there have been 34 assassinations of trade unionists. The following represents a sampling of cases of violence against trade unionists in 2009 and 2008, which include cases of threats and murders.  Translated texts of recent death threats are available here. Unless otherwise noted, information comes from the ICTUR.

2009

On 1 September, Mauricio Monsalve Vásquez a member of the Antioquia region teachers’ association ADIDA went missing for ten days. His body was found in the town of Ituango, Department of Antioquia.

21 August: Gustavo Gomez, an employee at Nestle–Comestibles La Rosa SA and member of the foodworkers’ trade union SINALTRAINAL, was assassinated by unknown gunmen at his house. According to the union, this crime happened at the time when the trade union had just presented a set of demands to the company.

17 August: several teachers, all members of the university teachers’ association ASPU, received threatening phone calls and email death threats signed by paramilitary groups. The threats came after the trade union published a statement protesting against the establishment of US military bases in Colombia.

11 August: Jairo Martinez Solarte, a judge and member of court and judicial workers’ union ASONAL JUDICIAL, was assassinated by unknown gunmen in the city of Cali, Department of Valle del Cauca.

29 July: Jorge Orlando Tabares Gómez, a member of the board of the oil workers’ union USO, was intercepted by a man on a motorcycle who made death threats against him and said he should leave the union.

24 July: Ricardo Correa Bernal and Nicolás Zapata Vásquez, both members of the Medellin branch of the further education workers’ union SINDESENA, received threatening phone calls from paramilitary groups.

30 June: José Antonio Betancourt López, a member of a local peasants’ association ASOCBAC, went missing. Later his body was found completely dismembered in the town of Taraza, Department of Antioquia.

20 June: Rafael Antonio Sepúlveda Lara, a member of the national hospital workers’ union ANTHOC and a member of the national executive of the public servants’ federation FENASER, was assassinated in the city of Cucuta, Department of Norte de Santander.

18 June: Rafael Alberto Molano, national vice president of CUT Colombia, received written death threats from the guerrilla group FARC.

11 June: Jorge Humberto Echeverri Garro, a teacher and member of the Arauca region of the teachers’ union ASEDAR, was assassinated in the town of Arauquita.

9 June: Pablo Rodríguez Garabito, a teacher and member of the Arauca region of the teachers’ union ASEDAR, was assassinated by unknown gunmen in his classroom in the town of Puerto Rondón.

18 May: William Pareja, a leader of the banking workers’ union UNEB, was the victim of an attempted kidnapping, he escaped after perpetrators tried to force him into a car.

5 May: Martha Cecilia Diaz, president of the Santander public sector workers’ union ASTDEMP received a letter with death treats that were sent to the union office.

1 May: Diego Rodriguez, president of the Cali section of the foodworkers’ union SINALTRAINAL Cali, and his two children (Diego, 16 and Laura, 15), were injured and arbitrarily detained by the police while participating in May Day demonstrations.

1 May: Pedro Blanco, Javier Chacon, Javier Celis and José García, all students of the Santander Industrial University UIS, were arbitrarily detained by the police in Bucaramanga, in the Department of Santander, while participating in May Day demonstrations.

26 April: workers at the Nestlé factory in the town of Bugalagrande have complained that they were being filmed and followed in their workplace.

25 April: Over Dorado Cardona, a member of the Association of Teachers of Antioquia ADIDA, received phone calls and email death threats signed by the paramilitary groups. The message informed him that he was considered to be a military target and would be killed.

22 de April: Edgar Martínez, a member of the miners and agricultural workers’ union of the South of Bolivar Department FEDEAGROMISBOL, was assassinated by paramilitary groups in San Pablo, in the Department of Bolivar.

18 April: Asdrúbal Sánchez Pérez, a leader of the local section of the prison officers’ union, ASEINPEC–CGT, was assassinated in Montería, in the Department of Córdoba. From January 2008 to April 2009, more than nine members and leaders of this union have been assassinated.

9 April: Cesar Tamayo, President of the local farm workers’ organization ASOGRAS, was threatened with death by four men who were riding motorbikes on his farm in Sabana de Torres, in the Department of Santander.

5 April: David Martínez, vice-president of the local farm workers’ union SINTRAGRIM and also a member of the national executive committee of the farmworkers’ union FENSUAGRO, received death treats by phone calls.

4 April: Hernán Polo, a member of the public sector workers’ union SINTRENAL-CGT, was assassinated in Monteria, in the Department of Córdoba.

2 April: a letter was delivered to the offices of the CUT trade union federation in the Santander region containing threats against local trade unionists and their families.

24 March: Ramiro Cuadros Robayo, a member of the Valle del Cauca section of the teachers’ trade union SUTEV, was assassinated in Tulua, in the Department of Valle del Cauca.

21 March: The body of unionist Walter Escobar Marion, a leader of the Valle del Cauca section of the teachers’ trade union SUTEV, was found with evidence of torture in Palmira, in the Department of Valle del Cauca.

2 March: Lina Paola Malagon Díaz, a lawyer with the Colombian Commission of Jurists, received death threats signed by the Black Eagles paramilitary group. Malagón Díaz produced a report about impunity and trade union rights violations in Colombia, which was presented at a February 2009 U.S. Congressional Hearing.

22 February: Hernando Montoya, president of the Cartago municipal workers’ union Sintramunicipio, discovered death threats written in graffiti on his house door.

20 February: Leoncio Gutierrez, a member of the teachers’ union of Valle del Cauca, SUTEV, was assassinated in El Toro, in the Department of Cauca.

18 February: The secretary of the Valle del Cauca region of the CUT federation received an anonymous phone call in which threats were made against local CUT leaders Álvaro Vega and Wilson Sáenz.

15 February: Guillermo Antonio Ramirez, a member of a local teachers’ union of Belen de Umbria was assassinated in Belen de Umbria, in the Department of Risaralda.

12 February: Luis Alberto Arango Crespo, president of the fishing and farm workers’ association of Barrancabermeja, was assassinated in Barrancabermeja in the Department of Santander.

28 January: Leovigildo Mejia, a member of farm workers’ association of Santander ASOGRAS, was assassinated in Sabana de Torres in the Department of Santander.

During January, More than 2,300 workers of city of Barranquilla were dismissed by their employer, more than the 70 percent of the dismissed workers were members of the trade unions, and 86 of them should have been legally protected against dismissal due to their status as elected officials of the union (fuero sindical). The dismissals were a clear violation of the Constitution, Colombian labour law, and the ILO conventions ratified by Colombia.

2008

15 July:  The body of Guillermo Rivera Fúquene, a union leader and activist in the Democratic Pole political party, was discovered, in the city of Ibagúe. He was kidnapped on April 22, 2008, reportedly by the Colombian police.

23 April: Jorge Gamboa, the national President of the oil workers’ union USO, suffered an attempt again his life, by armed persons, at the time when the union leader was accompanying a group of workers in the town of San Vicente del Chucurri, Santander Department.

22 April: Guillermo Rivera Fúquene, the President of the local public sector workers’ union SINSERPUB, was ‘disappeared’ while taking his daughter to school.

16 April: Jesús Heberto Caballero Ariza, a local leader of the public sector workers’ union SINDESENA and a member of the human rights committee of the union, was ‘disappeared’. His body was found the next day, with evidence of torture.

10 April: Members of the Agro-mining Federation of the South of Bolivar Department FEDEAGROMISBOL, and other local human rights organisations, received email death threats signed by the paramilitary group ‘Black Eagles’ (Aguilas Negras). The message informed them that they were considered to be military targets and would be killed.

27 March: Manuel de Jesús Reyes Reyes, a leader of the regional agricultural workers’ union SINDAGRICULTORES (affiliated to FENSUAGRO) was taken into detention, illegally, by members of the Colombian army.

22 March: Adolfo Gonzáles Montes, a member of the mineworkers’ union SINTRACARBON, was assassinated in the city of Riohacha, Guajira Department.

18 March: José Gregorio Astros Amaya, a local leader of the prison officers’ union, ASEINPEC, was assassinated in the city of Cartago, Valle Department.

16 March: José Fernando Quiroz, a member of the agricultural workers’ union FENSUAGRO, was assassinated in the town of Puerto Asís, Putumayo Department.

15 March: Manuel Antonia Jiménez, a member of the agricultural workers’ union FENSUAGRO, was assassinated in the town of Puerto Asís, Putumayo Department.

12 March: Víctor Manuel Muñoz, a member of the regional teachers’ union ADUCESAR, was assassinated in the town of Agustín Codazzi, Cesar Department.

12 March: Carlos Burbano, a member of the health workers’ union ANTHOC, was assassinated in the city of San Vicente del Caguan, Caquetá Department.

12 March: Fernanda Bolaños, a member of the public sector workers’ union SINTRAEMSIRVA, received email death threats against its members and specifically naming Fernanda Bolaños, the leader of the union.

11 March: Trade unionists, community leaders, peace activists and human rights defenders have been receiving death threats following the national day to commemorate victims of state violence that was held on 6 March in Colombia and around the world.

8 March: Leonidas Gómez Rozo, a member of the bank workers’ union UNEB, was assassinated in the city of Bogota.

7 March: Gildardo Antonio Gómez Alzate, a member of the regional teachers’ union ADIDA, was assassinated in the city of Medellín, Antioquia Department.

7 March: Rafael Boada, local President of the bank workers’ union UNEB, suffered an attempt again his life. He had recently received death threats.

4 March: Carmen Cecilia Carvajal Ramírez, a member of the regional teachers’ union ASINORT, was assassinated in the city of Ocaña, Norte de Santander Department.

17 February: Mauricio Cubides, a member of the agricultural workers’ union FENSUAGRO, suffered an attempt at enforced disappearance, by armed persons. Later he received death threats.

Health Worker's Union Leader Assassinated

February 13, 2008

Arley Benavides, a leader of the health workers trade union ANTHOC, has
been assassinated in the town of Balboa in Cauca region. (Source: Justice for Colombia)

9 February: Samboni Arley Benavides, a member of the health workers’ union ANTHOC, was assassinated in the town of Balboa, Cauca Department.

9 February: José Giraldo Mamian, a member of the regional teachers’ union ASOINCA, was assassinated in the town of La Vega, Cauca Department.

8 February: Maria del Carmen Mesa Pasochoa, a member of the regional teachers’ union - ASEDAR, was assassinated in the town of Tame, Arauca Department.

2 February: José Martín Duarte Acero, a member of the environment sector workers’ union SINTRAMBIENTE, was assassinated in the town of La Macarena, Meta Department.

Prison Officer's Union Leader Assassinated

January 28, 2008

Unidentified assassins have murdered a regional leader of the prison officers' trade union in Colombia. The killing, on January 28th, occurred as 32-year-old Yebrain Suarez, arrived home from work in the town of Itagui in Antioquia department. The assassins were waiting for him in the doorway of his house.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) condemned the
latest killing in a letter to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on
January 29th. The ITUC stated that "Despite recent optimistic
statements by Colombian Vice-President Francisco Santos and other
government officials, Colombian trade unionists still carry out their
legitimate trade union activities at constant risk to their lives, on
top of serious deficiencies in the country's labour laws which impose
major restrictions on trade union rights."

ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder added "Colombia has a long and
appalling record as the most dangerous place on earth for trade
unionists, with dozens of killings taking place each year. Only a tiny
fraction of these have been investigated properly. The government must
fulfill its responsibility to protect trade unionists and end the
culture of impunity which has reigned for so long."

Union General Secretary Shot and Killed by Soldiers

January 24, 2008

55-year-old Israel Gonzalez, the General Secretary of the
Colombian trade union ASTRACATOL and an active member of the Polo
Democratico opposition political party has been shot dead by soldiers
of the 'Caicedo' Battalion of the Colombian Army. The killing, which
took place at 7.15am on January 24th as Mr Gonzalez prepared breakfast
for himself and his wife at their home, comes only months after he had
led a protest of over 20,000 workers in the region in which he lived.

Mr Gonzalez, a father of four who led the Association of Country
Workers of Tolima (ASTRACATOL), had also recently been elected as
President of the 'Community Action Council' in the town of Mesetas. The
town, which is in Tolima department, was also where he was killed.

His wife, Clara Inés Bocanegre, witnessed the soldiers murder
her husband. She was then, whilst still in a state of shock, subjected
to an intense interrogation by them.

(Source: Justice for Colombia)

24 January: Israel González, a member of the agricultural workers’ union FENSUAGRO, was assassinated in the town of San Antonio, Tolima Department.

12 January: Ramiro de Jesús Pérez Zapata, a member of the regional teachers’ union of Antioquia ADIDA, was assassinated in the town of San Jerónimo, Antioquia Department.

2 January: Mario Zuluaga, a member of the health workers’ union ASMEDAS, was assassinated in the city of Medellin, Antioquia Department.