IUF Demands Protection for Threatened Colombian Food Union Leaders

Posted to the IUF website 30-May-2006

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The Colombian foodworkers union SINALTRAINAL has again been the target of death threats. On May 15, union secretary Yovana Rodríguez of the Barranquilla branch found a letter signed by the paramilitary group M.A.S. threatening 8 union leaders by name with murder. The following day, two of these union officials received threatening phone calls at their homes.

The IUF responded immediately to reports of these threats by writing the Colombian government to demand a full investigation, prosecution of the perpetrators and full protection for the threatened unionists. The IUF continues to encourage affiliates around the world to take similar action in defense of threatened union leaders and members in Colombia.

You can send protests to the following addresses (the IUF's message in English and Spanish is shown below):

Presidencia de la República de Colombia
Dr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez
auribe@presidencia.gov.co

Dr. Carlos Franco
Director, Presidential Human Rights and International Humanitarian
Rights Program
cefranco@presidencia.gov.co

Please copy your messages to:

iuf@iuf.org

The text of the IUF messsage is as follows:

English (Spanish below):

Dear Dr. Franco,

On May 15 2006, upon arriving at the offices of SINALTRAINAL in Barranquilla, Yovana Rodríguez founds a written message signed by a paramilitary group M.A.S. threatening the following union leaders EURIPIDES YANCE, LIMBERTO CARRANZA, CAMPO QUINTERO JESUS TOVAR, EDUARDO AREVALO, TOMAS RAMON, HENRY GORDON, GASTON TESILLO, CARLOS HERNANDEZ.

On May 16 Euripides Yance y Limberto Carranza received death threats by telephone at their homes.

We demand that the security of these and all trade unionists be protected in Colombia and that those repsonsible for such threats and action be brought to justice. We further demand the fullest investigation into these incidents and a guarantee that these trade unionists can exrcise their rights in total security.

Yours sincerely,

Ron Oswald,
General Secretary, IUF

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Estimado Dr. Franco,

El día 15 de mayo de 2006, en momentos en que se llegó a la sede de SINALTRANAL ubicada en la ciudad de Barranquilla, la Señora Yovana Rodríguez se encontró un sobre con un comunicado firmado por el grupo paramilitar M.A.S. declarante objetivo a los siguientes dirigentes sindicales: EURIPIDES YANCE, LIMBERTO CARRANZA, CAMPO QUINTERO JESUS TOVAR, EDUARDO AREVALO, TOMAS RAMON, HENRY GORDON, GASTON TESILLO, CARLOS HERNANDEZ.

El día 16 de mayo, Euripides Yance y Limberto Carranza recibieron llamadas telefonicas a sus casas el las cuales los amenazaron de muerte.

Exigimos respeto a la vida de estos sindicalistas. Demandamos que el gobierno colombiano investigue y procese a los responsables de estas amenazas y se brinden todas las garantías para que se pueda ejercer la actividad sindical en toda seguridad.

Atentamente,

Ron Oswald

Secretario general
UITA