USLEAP joined labor, environmental, human rights, development and faith-based organizations in submitting written comments to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in response to a formal request to the public for opinions on labor-related issues in the context of the pending Free Trade Agreement with Colombia. In their comments, these groups outlined the specific human rights and labor problems in Colombia, and called on the Obama Administration to adopt a more comprehensive understanding of the human rights situation in Colombia, and work to resolve the underlying factors perpetuating the still high levels of violence and impunity in the country before moving forward with a free trade agreement.
USLEAP, the AFL-CIO, and SEIU outlined violence against trade unionists and other obstacles within the labor law regime. The Latin American Working Group and Education Fund emphasized the problems with government actors, particularly the recent scandal with the Department of Administrative Security. Some groups also outlined the potential impact of the trade agreement on the rural poor, including Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.
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