[P2P-F] Fwd: Colombian Unions Face Violence and Mass Arrests

Wed Apr 23 17:35:27 CEST 2014

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alliance for Global Justice <afgj at afgj.org>
Date: Wed, Apr 23, 2014 at 10:11 AM
Subject: Colombian Unions Face Violence and Mass Arrests
To: michelsub2004 at gmail.com

             [image: Alliance for Global
Justice]<http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Aa9UCkLwIlcZkFeCtPDCyGucErW%2FfQz4>
     Colombian Unionists Endure Mass Arrests, Bombings in April*--Take
Action
<http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ltQnJsnF3ZqAhle7086FQGucErW%2FfQz4>*

*Click here to read letter by United Steelworkers in solidarity with
workers from SINTRAEMCALI and ASTRACAN
unions*<http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Vm2RgFes8gW0FDL%2Fs9XruWucErW%2FfQz4>

  The Alliance for Global Justice is very concerned about the April 17,
2014 detention of 17 agricultural workers and union members from the
municipality of Leiva in the Colombian department of Nariño. This is one of
a series of high profile arrests and mass detentions of union and peasant
leaders that have occurred over the past two years.

These arrests are part of an ongoing campaign of retaliation against
farmers who participated in the recent National Agrarian and Popular Strike
(Paro Nacional Agrario y Popular) and preceding farmers strikes in the
Catatumbo and coffee growing regions. Likewise they continue the targeted
persecution against peasant organizations allied with the Patriotic March
(Marcha Patriótica) popular movement for a just peace. Similar detentions
have also occurred in the departments of Putumayo and Tolima. These
detentions place families in jeopardy and have contributed to a more than
80% rise in forced displacement since the implementation of the US-Colombia
Free Trade Agreement. The 17 peasant workers detained in Leiva are all
members of the Association of Peasant Workers of Nariño (ASTRACAN), the
regional affiliate of FENSUAGRO, the largest union of agricultural workers
in Colombia.

The repression of unionists in Colombia is not limited to the agricultural
sector. Just one day before the arrests of the Leiva 17, incendiary bombs
were thrown at the headquarters of SINTRAEMCALI, the public sector union in
Cali, Valle de Cauca. The attack occurred only five days following a major
court decision ordering the Colombian president and vice president to ask
forgiveness for crimes committed by the administration of former President
Álvaro Uribe against SINTRAEMCALI as well as the SINTRAUNICOL and
SINTRATELEFONOS unions. The order has still not been complied with. Over
the past decade, 15 SINTRAEMCALI members have been killed and over 100 have
received threats. “Operation Dragon” was a government supported
assassination plot against the union’s leaders as well as other regional
human rights defenders.

[image: astracan alert 3]
TAKE A STAND AGAINST THESE RECENT ASSAULTS ON COLOMBIAN UNIONISTS AND
FARMERS!
<http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=EpZGt6HpoQzAO4Kh4V3ZKWucErW%2FfQz4>

On Monday, April 17, 2013, the United Steelworkers sent a letter signed by
USW President Leo Gerard to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos
<http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=J6X78ZGDFEMH%2F%2FjGTsn%2Bj2ucErW%2FfQz4>calling
on his administration to take action to investigate these latest incidents
and to take action to protect SINTRAEMCALI leaders.

*Will you also take a stand for Colombian unionists? Please click here to
send an email to the offices of Pres. Santos, Vice President Angelino
Garzon, the Colombian Embassy and the US State
Department*<http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=67ZZVmBfaPZ97wnGlsLFVmucErW%2FfQz4>

 *Following is the text of the sample letter:*

IN SPANISH:

Escribo para protestar por la arbitraria detención masiva de 17 miembros de
la Asociación de Trabajadores Campesinos de Nariño (ASTRACAN), afiliado a
FENSUAGRO, la mayor Federación de trabajadores agrícolas de Colombia.
También deseo expresar mi consternación sobre el reciente bombardeo de la
Unión de Trabajadores del Sector Público en Cali (SINTRAEMCALI).
Especialmente teniendo en cuenta este ataque violento, Pres Santos y Vice
Pres Garzon deben tomar el paso correcto y cumplir con la decisión reciente
del Tribunal exigiendo una disculpa por los crímenes cometidos contra
SINTRAEMCALI, así como SINTRAUNICO y SINTRATELEFONOS, durante el gobierno
de Álvaro Uribe.

Hago un llamamiento a la administración de Santos para seguir los
siguientes pasos:

1. Poner en libertad a los 17 miembros de ASTRACATAN detenido el 17 de
abril de 2013 y retirar todos los cargos en su contra;

2. Ordenar a la Unidad de Protección Nacional para investigar los atentados
contra la oficina de SINTRAEMCALI y garantizar la seguridad de los líderes
de la Unión;

3. Cumplir con la decisión del Tribunal exigiendo el Presidente Santos y
Vice Presidente Garzón para pedir perdón por los crímenes cometidos contra
los sindicatos SINTRAEMCALI, SINTRAUNICOL y SINTRATELEFONOS durante la
administración del ex presidente Álvaro Uribe.

Llamo al gobierno de los Estados Unidos a poner fin a su financiación de la
guerra y la represión en Colombia y rescindir el libre comercio entre
Estados Unidos y Colombia sobre la base del incumplimiento del Plan de
Acción Laboral. Colombia sigue siendo el país más peligroso del mundo para
ser sindicalista!

IN ENGLISH:

I am writing to protest the arbitrary mass detention of 17 members of the
Association of Peasant Workers of Nariño (ASTRACAN), an affiliate of
FENSUAGRO, Colombia’s largest federation of agricultural workers.

I also wish to express my dismay regarding the recent bombing of the public
workers union in Cali, SINTRAEMCALI.  Especially in light of this violent
attack, Pres. Santos and Vice Pres. Garzon must take the right step and
comply with the recent court decision demanding an apology for crimes
committed against SINTRAEMCALI as well as SINTRAUNICO and SINTRATELEFONOS
during the government of Álvaro Uribe.

I call on the Santos administration to take the following steps:

1. Grant freedom to the 17 members of ASTRACATAN arrested on April 17, 2013
and dismiss all charges against them;

2. Order the National Protection Unit (Unidad de Protección Nacional) to
investigate the bombings of the office SINTRAEMCALI and provide security
for the union’s leaders;

3. Comply with the court decision demanding President Santos and Vice
President Garzón to ask forgiveness for crimes committed against the
SINTRAEMCALI, SINTRAUNICOL and SINTRATELEFONOS unions during the
administration of former president Álvaro Uribe.

I call on the US government to end its funding of war and repression in
Colombia and to rescind the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement based on the
failure of the Labor Action Plan.  Colombia is still the most dangerous
country in the world to be a unionist!

     Like the work AFGJ is doing? *Please support us
today.*<http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=RtExKqzJKTh%2BuGH4am%2BbY2ucErW%2FfQz4>
   Quick
Links

   - <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=JZr8RkAf4rUqcLNycWSaJ8fPE3rmy9pI>*TAKE
   ACTION on behalf of COLOMBIAN FARMERS AND UNIONISTS
   <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=s1f%2FYVuw%2F0ad8Y6x6Tmt4mucErW%2FfQz4>*

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-- 
*Please note an intrusion wiped out my inbox on February 8; I have no
record of previous communication, proposals, etc ..*

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