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Seven Banana Workers/SINTRAINAGRO Members Murdered in Colombia

Posted to the IUF website 30-Apr-2002

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The IUF again mourns murdered trade unionists in Colombia, this time seven banana workers, members of the IUF affiliate SINTRAINAGRO. Reports indicate that in the early morning of April 26, guerrillas belonging to the "Fifth Front" of the FARC guerrilla forces entered the plantation Montesol Vereda Salsipuedes on the outskirts of Apartado and systematically assassinated the following workers:

The assassins are reported to have carried with them a list of the victims, checking their names off methodically after they were murdered. Two persons who were neither banana workers nor associated with the union, but happened to be in the area where the workers were murdered, were also assassinated: Patricia Carvajal and Luis Henry G�mez.

Media and local authorities identified the FARC as the perpetrators of this latest crime, committed in an area which the army had recently evacuated.
Well over four hundred SINTRAINAGRO leaders and members have been assassinated since 1989, most recently union leaders Juan Montiel and Emilio Villeras Dur�n earlier this year.

SINTRAINAGRO has repeatedly called on the authorities to protect threatened union leaders and members with the necessary security, with no results. As recently as April 11, a union delegation including SINTRAINAGRO president Oswaldo Cuadrado and general secretary Hern�n Correa met with the ministers of the interior and of labour to request additional security for trade unionists in the violence-ridden regions of Urab� and Magdalena.

Following the massacre, SINTRAINAGRO called on its members to maintain discipline and unity.

The IUF requests that protest messages be sent to the Colombian authorities, calling on them to immediately implement all necessary measures to defend the security and the lives of SINTRAINAGRO members, who have paid an enormous price in blood for government inaction. Sample messages are attached to this circular. We request that copies of all messages be sent to SINTRAINAGRO and to the IUF secretariat.

We thank you in advance for your solidarity and support.

Sample message to the President of Colombia



To: Presidencia de la Rep�blica
Dr. Andr�s Pastrana Arango
Carrera 8 N. 7-26 Palacio de Nari�o
Bogot�, D.C.
Colombia
Fax: + 571 334 1323
E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]/
[email protected]

cc: Ministro del Interior
Dr. Armando Estrada Villa
Carrer 8 No. 9-09
Bogot�, D.C.
Colombia
Fax: + 571 562 9887

cc: Ministro del Trabajo
Dr. Angelino Garz�n
Cra 7 No. 3450
Bogot�, D.C.
Colombia
Fax: + 571 285 7091

Se�or Presidente:

Me siento indignado al haberme enterado del asesinato de 7 miembros del sindicato de trabajadores rurales SINTRAINAGRO, el d�a 26 de abril, en la finca Montesol - Vereda Salsipuedes, cerca de Apartad�. Agust�n Colmenares, Alberto Mart�nez, Juan Sep�lveda, Jos� de Jes�s Ledezma, Jos� Hurtado, Enrique Su�rez y Luis Enrique Guisao fueron muertos en horas tempranas de la ma�ana por asesinos armados. Tambi�n fueron asesinados a sangre fr�a otros dos residentes de la zona.

Sin duda, usted estar� informado que m�s de 400 miembros y dirigentes de SINTRAINAGRO han sido asesinados, de la misma forma que usted sabr� que el presidente y el secretario general de SINTRAINAGRO se reunieron con sus ministros del interior y del trabajo el d�a 11 de abril, con el prop�sito de exigir una adecuada protecci�n para los militantes sindicales amenazados en las regiones de Urab� y Magdalena. El fracaso de su gobierno de actuar ante la evidencia de las claras amenazas presentes a los miembros de SINTRAINAGRO ha provocado otras siete v�ctimas en la guerra contra los sindicalistas en su pa�s. �Cu�ntos m�s trabajadores y miembros sindicales habr�n de morir antes que su gobierno cumpla con el deber esencial de todo gobierno hacia sus ciudadanos, en lo referente a la protecci�n de sus vidas y su bienestar ?

Exhorto a su gobierno a proceder ahora a fin de asegurar la puesta en pr�ctica de todas las medidas necesarias para proteger las vidas de los miembros y autoridades de SINTRAINAGRO y a actuar prontamente para llevar a juicio a aquellos que asesinaron a los siete miembros sindicales el 26 de abril, as� como a los culpables por otros asesinatos de miembros de SINTRAINAGRO. Su fracaso en hacerlo debilitar� paulatinamente, a�n m�s, la credibilidad de las afirmaciones de su gobierno de que sostiene las normas internacionalmente reconocidas de la democracia y los derechos humanos y se constituir� tambi�n en otra mancha sangrienta para la reputaci�n de Colombia.

Le saluda atentamente,

cc: SINTRAINAGRO NACIONAL
Calle 99 No. 98-60
Apartad�, Urab� Antioque�o
Fax: + 574 828 5087
E-mail: [email protected]


Dear Mr. President,

I am outraged to learn of the April 26 murder of 7 members of the rural workers union SINTRAINAGRO on the Montesol Vereda Salsipuedes finca near Apartad�. Agustin Colmenares, Alberto Martinez, Juan Sep�lveda, Jos� de Jes�s Ledezma, Jos� Hurtado, Enrique Su�rez and Luis Enrique Guisao were murdered in the early morning by by armed assassins. Two other residents of the area were also murdered in cold blood.

You are of course aware that over 400 SINTRAINAGRO members and leaders have been assassinated, just as you are aware that the SINTRAINAGRO president and general secretary met with your ministers of the interior and labour on April 11 to demand adequate protection for threatened trade unionists in the regions of Urab� and Magdalena. The result of your government's failure to act in the fact of clear and present threats to SINTRAINAGRO members is seven additional casualties in the war against trade unionists in your country. How many more workers and trade union members must die before your government fulfils the essential duty of every government towards its citizens, that of protecting their lives and well-being?

I call upon your government to act now to insure that all necessary measures are put in place to protect the lives of SINTRAINAGRO's members and officers and to act swiftly to bring to trial those who murdered the seven union members on April 26, as well as those guilty of other assassinations of SINTRAINAGRO members. Failure to do so will further undermine the credibility of your government's claims to be upholding internationally recognized standards of democracy and human rights, and constitute yet another bloody stain on Colombia's reputation.

Yours sincerely,

cc: SINTRAINAGRO NACIONAL
Calle 99 No. 98-60
Apartad�, Urab� Antioque�o
Fax: + 574 828 5087
E-mail: [email protected]