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CUT Colombia denounces paramilitaries

Issue date
CUT Colombia

Public denouncement of paramilitaries

May 2008

The CUT - via the Human Rights Department - denounces to the national and international community the following information:

  • The political crisis within the government structures that is currently occurring in Colombia, today deepens even further the humanitarian crisis, with the regrouping of paramilitaries, calling themselves the 'Black Eagles', all of this is the responsibility either by action or omission of the Government of President Alvaro Uribe Velez, as the link between the regime and paramilitaries is today undeniable.
  • To date, 5th May, there have been 25 trade unionists murdered, death threats against trade unionists and their families have increased, via emails and leaflets handed out in cities and towns around Colombia by paramilitaries using the name 'Black Eagles', as has happened in Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja, Cali, Bogota, Cartagena and Barranquilla.
  • In Barranquilla, after the kidnapping and assassination of our colleague Jesus Caballero Ariza, member of the Executive Committee of the trade union, SINDISENA, a Security Council was held with the presence of the Governor of Atlantico (department), District Administration, Attorney General, DAS, National Police, Army, Public Ministry - Ombudsman and General Procurator and the unions, in this space, workers told them very clearly that the right to life and fundamental rights have reached a crisis point in Atlantico Department and that no commitment or actions have been undertaken by the different government bodies to address this bad situation.
  • After this meeting, the only thing that has happened, is that continued death threats have been made against the colleagues Jose Humberto Torres (human rights lawyer), Jesus Tovar Castro (Vice-president of CUT Atlantico region), Jose Rodriguez (leader of SINTRAUNICOL trade union), Nicolas Castro (President of the Solidarity Committee Foundation and the on the Executive of the CUT Atlantico Region), Edgar Pua (official at the District Health Secretariat), Gustavo Lopez (former leader of ASPU trade union at the University of Atlantico), and Domingo Tovar Arrieta (Director of the Human Rights Department of the CUT). A death threat in the form of a leaflet was handed over to Gustavo Lopez on May 2nd, when he was approached by 2 men on a motorbike, we have information that there are other lists circulating with names of threatened trade unionists to be assassinated and that an assassination attempt was being prepared in Cartagena against Daniel Rico Serpa, the General Secretary of USO trade union around these dates.
  • To the international community, we would like to thank your understanding and solidarity with Colombian trade unionists and all those threatened, displaced and exiled Colombians, and tell you that today more than ever we need these denouncements of human rights violations to be made in the international arena.
  • At the national level, the rest of the trade union movement, the human rights defenders, journalists, reporters and the social movement in general will continue to carry out united actions to allow us to say 'enough is enough' and try to stop this wave of state terrorism.

Thanks to Justice for Colombia for this translation.

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