Protest Letter to Guatemalan Embassy

H.E. Mr Edmundo Urrutia
Embassy of Guatemala
13 Fawcett Street
London
SW10 9HN

Dear Ambassador

Assassination of Union leaders Miguel Chacaj Jax and Pedro Ramirez De La Cruz

On behalf the TUC, British workers and the 6.2 million members in our affiliated unions I write to deplore the killing of two more trade union leaders in your country. Both men were leaders of Guatemalan labour, indigenous and campesino movement, MSICG.

Miguel Chacaj Jax, a founding member of the union, died on 13 October at the hands of state security forces. Pedro Ramirez De La Cruz, director of the organisation for the defence of indigenous people of Las Verapaces and a member of the MSICG, was assassinated on 29 November. He had received numerous death threats due to his work defending land rights and promoting agrarian reform and rural development.

We requested last month in a letter on 2 November concerning the murder of Victor Galvez that you convey to the government of President Colom our deep concerns about the situation facing trade unionists in Guatemala and our call for urgent measures to be taken at all levels to find and hold to account those responsible for their murder. We regret that we have not yet received a response to this letter, but urge you again to convey our views to your government.

Sadly the commitments made in 2007 by President Colom to tackle impunity and enforce the rule of law appear to be no closer to fulfilment.

Yours sincerely

BRENDAN BARBER

General Secretary