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Bogota. In its annual report, the NGO stated that violence against trade unionists in Colombia, one of the main obstacles for the approval of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, is still a serious problem. In fact, the situation has gradually worsened since 2007, as indicated by Human Rights Watch in its annual report on Human Rights around the world, which was presented today in Washington.



The NGO also voiced its concern for the attacks against those who defend Human Rights and the so called “false positives,” which, according to the NGO, still exist. The report was issued the day Vice President Angelino Garzón initiated his visit to Washington, where he will stay for a week. One of the purposes of his visit is to show Congress and other authorities that the situation in Colombia has changed and push for the approval of the FTA.



Along these lines, Vivanco warned that Human Rights Watch will continue opposing the ratification of the Treaty as long as it does not fulfill two conditions: that the reduction of violence against trade unionism be verified, and that investigations to clear up the cases improve.



HRW holds that Colombia is still the country with the highest number of murders around the world, mostly attributed to the paramilitary and their successors.



“Although the number of homicides dropped down to 39 in 2007, statistics are still alarming: according to the National Trade Union School (ENS), 52 murders were committed in 2008, 47 in 2009, and 36 between January and September 15, 2010. Threats against trade unionists have increased since 2007,” reported the NGO.



For the NGO, impunity in such cases “is still the rule”: only 25% of over 2,800 murders of trade unionists reported by the ENS are being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. “Although the Public Prosecutor has started investigating over 1,300 cases of anti-union violence, only 14% of the cases resulted in a sentence,” said HRW, 'disappointed' over the poor role of the Prosecutor’s Office in charge of clearing up those crimes.



The report also criticizes the results of the “Justice and Peace” Act, which five years after it came into force has only led to two sentences and the recovery of “a minute part of the millions of acres of land taken over by the paramilitary.”





By: Sergio Gómez Maseri

Photo: EFE / Leonardo Muñoz



Source: El Tiempo.com



Contact: leonor.sierra@uniglobalunion.org



Editor’s Note. The above is an excerpt of the publication in Spanish of El Tiempo newspaper of Bogotá of January 24, 2011.