shots fired @ union office -COLOMBIA
Date: 27 February 2002
Amnesty International is seriously concerned for the safety of members of the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de Alimentos, (SINALTRAINAL), National Union of Food Industry Workers, after shots were fired at its headquarters in Cali, Valle del Cauca Department on 14 February.
An unidentified gunman reportedly shot at the third floor of the SINALTRAINAL headquarters from outside the building. Four SINALTRAINAL
members on the third floor, had to take cover but were not injured as a result of the shooting. No arrests have been made, despite the fact
that the police were reportedly immediately notified and a patrol car was sent to search for the gunman and another unidentified man seen
with him.
The attempt at the SINALTRAINAL headquarters comes at a time when the trade union is reportedly preparing a law suit in the United States regarding alleged human rights violations by paramilitaries against SINALTRAINAL trade unionists working in bottling plants contracted by
the CocaCola Company. The attack also follows threats against and killings of other trade unionists, trade union activists and their
families by armybacked paramilitaries in Cali (see UA 53/02, AMR 23/021/02, 18 February 2002).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The security and armed forces and their paramilitary allies have often accused trade unionists, human rights workers, members of legal
opposition groups and popular activists of being guerrilla sympathizers or auxiliaries. The people they have accused have frequently been harassed, tortured and killed, often by
paramilitaries. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) recorded that in 2001 alone, over 160 trade unionists were
murdered, and that harassment and violence is widespread. According to reports from the Colombian Trade Union Confederation (CUT), so far
this year at least 20 trade unionists have been killed.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals urgently using the following as a guideline but writing in your own words expressing concern for the safety of SINALTRAINAL members in Cali, Valle del Cauca Department; calling for a full and impartial investigation into the shooting at the union's headquarters in Cali, with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice;
asking the authorities what action they will take to guarantee the safety of those at risk, and calling for the Ministry of Interior's
protection program for trade unionists to be adequately resourced; calling for a full and impartial investigation into links between
the security forces and paramilitary groups operating in Valle del Cauca Department, and asking that the results of the investigation are
made public and those found responsible for supporting and participating in such groups are brought to justice; urging the authorities to take immediate action to dismantle
paramilitary groups, in line with stated government commitments and recommendations made by the UN and other intergovernmental
organizations.
APPEALS TO:
Dr. Armando Estrada Villa
Ministro del Interior
Palacio Echeverry
Carrera 8a, No.809, piso 2o.
Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: + 57 1 562 5298 (if someone answers say "me da tono de
fax por favor")
Salutation: Dear Minister Estrada Villa / Sr. Ministro Estrada
Villa
National Advocate for the people:
Sr. Eduardo Cifuentes Munoz
Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoria del Pueblo
Calle 55, No. 1032/46 office 301
Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: + 57 1 691 5455 (if someone answers say "me da tono de
fax por favor")
Salutation: Dear Mr. Cifuentes Munoz / Estimado Sr. Cifuentes
Munoz
Senor Presidente Andres Pastrana
Presidente de la Republica
Palacio de Narino
Carrera 8 No. 726
Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: + 57 1 566 2071 / 562 8930
Salutation: Dear President Pastrana / Excelentisimo Sr. Presidente
Pastrana
COPIES TO:
Her Excellency Fanny Kertzman Yankelevitch
Ambassador for Colombia
360 Albert Street, Suite 1002
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7
Fax: (613) 2304416
Email: embcolot@travelnet.com / embajador@embajadacolombia.ca
PLEASE EXPEDITE YOUR APPEALS ON THIS CASE. THANK YOU.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It is better to act with fear than not to act because of fear."
Organizacion Feminina Popular, Colombian human rights defenders
August 2001
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marilyn McKim and Joanne Lebert
Urgent Action Coordinators
Amnesty International
56 Temperance Street, 8th floor
Toronto ON M5H 3V5
Phone: (416) 3639933 ext 25
Fax: (416) 3633103
For further information
| Contact: |
Phil Davey
|
| Union: |
CFMEU
|
| Phone: |
0414 867188
|
|
