Murder of trade unionists should be treated as war crimes

Courageous Roman Catholic priest speaks out against Columbian government's failure to deal with ongoing assassinations

Bogota (9 August 2006) - A courageous Roman Catholic priest says the systematic murders of trade union leaders in Colombia should be treated as crimes against humanity, and judged by international human rights tribunals, if the Colombian government fails to take control of the situation.

Father Eliecer Soto of Caritas, director of Caritas, a church aid agency located in the pro-union stronghold of Barrancabermeja, says the majority of assassins fear no repercussions from Colombian government and it's time for other remedies to be considered.

"A government that feels that a military officer or a minister could be declared guilty by omission, commission or intellectual authorship... is going to think twice before allowing... its own forces... or paramilitary forces to continue assassinating," the priest told the Catholic News Service.

He noted statements by the government that it is taking steps to stop anti-union violence, including the provision of body guards, mobile phones and armoured cars to some union leaders.

However, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions says the efforts made by authorities are "clearly insufficient" to cope with the problem.

In June, the Geneva-based International Labor Organization, which represents 155 million workers in 154 countries, set up a permanent office in Colombia, largely because of the ongoing bloodshed. The government says it is co-operating with the ICFTU.

The office was established in the same month the ICFTU released a new report calling Colombia the "most dangerous" nation in the world for trade unionists and union leaders. In 2005, 70 union members were assassinated, 260 received death threats, 56 were subjected to arbitrary arrest and 32 were harassed for being union members.

Bad as the statistics were, they represented a decline from the previous year. However, it is estimated that more than 90% of crimes against union members are unreported and many assassinations are not investigated at all.

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has been an outspoken voice among activists around the world trying to put pressure on Colombia authorities to protect the rights of trade union members and leaders. NUPGE

More information:
Colombia remains deadliest country for trade union leaders
NUPGE Colombia page: the struggle for justice and peace