There has been 195 teachers assassinated in Colombia, without a single arrest being made, and at least 35 trade unionists have been killed this year alone.
Brussels (10 Dec. 2009) - The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has denounced and strongly condemned the murders of art teacher Zorayda Cortés López, who worked at the Higher Technical Institute of Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, and Leny Yanube Rengifo Gómez, a teacher and active member of the Cauca education workers' union, Asociación de Institutores y Trabajadores de la Educación del Cauca - ASOINCA.
The new murders come as the Canadian government proceeds with legislation to enact a Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (to send an email protesting the legislation click here).
The statement released by the ITUC says, "It is unacceptable and a cause for grave concern in the trade union movement that 195 teachers have been assassinated in Colombia, without a single arrest being made, and that 35 trade unionists have been killed this year alone.
These murders have once again plunged into mourning the victims' families along with the entire teaching profession and the national, regional and international trade union movement. "Colombia must respect the ILO core conventions it has ratified and that are therefore binding on it," said Guy Ryder, general secretary of the ITUC. "These murders demonstrate the utter falsity of the message the Colombia government is striving to send out to the international community regarding its success in curbing violence against trade unionists."
In a letter to the Colombian authorities, the ITUC has called on President Álvaro Uribe and his government to fulfill their Constitutional duty to protect trade union leaders and on the Attorney General to investigate these despicable crimes, to bring those responsible, at every level, to justice, to punish them with the full weight of the law and thus break the chain of impunity surrounding the murders of trade unionists in Colombia.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
For more information:
Liberals need to take stand against Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
