Nelson Camacho Gonzalez

At 5:30 in the morning on Thursday, June 17, 2010, Nelson Camacho Gonzalez was at a bus stop in Casanare, Colombia when two men rode up on a motorcycle and shot Nelson several times.  He was awaiting his morning commute to the Ecopetrol Refinery, where he was employed as a Maintenance Worker.

Nelson was affiliated with the Trade Union Day Laborers of Petroleum Industry – USO.  His death marks the 31st homicide against the organized population of Colombia in 2010. Seven of those murders have targeted union leaders.  Besides the assassinations, there have been additional assaults and threats.  This murder is part of a continuing series of attacks and threats toward leaders and workers affiliated with trade unions. The conflict between the trade unions and the multinational British Petroleum in Casanare, Ecopetrol-UT poliducto Andino, and TGI in Boyaca and Casanare has been ongoing.