News
36 union leaders murdered in Colombia
Bogotá. 36 union leaders have been murdered in Colombia so far this year. This was confirmed by the Director of Human Right’s Department of the Colombian Unitary Central of Workers (CUT), Luis Alberto Vanegas.
In relation to 2009, by the same time, 26 union leaders had been murdered; now the number has increased and 10 more murders have taken place. The Antioquia Educators’ Union (ADIDA) has been the most affected (five members of this union have been murdered); then, the Agrarian Unions of ADEMACOR, ASOINCA, ACA, AICA FEDEAGROMISBOL, SUTEV, SUDEA, ASTRACATOL, SIMANA, SINTRABECOLICAS, SNTT, ASONAL JUDICIAL, SINALSERPUB, SINTRAINAGRO, ASINORT, SINTRAELECOL, ASEINPEC, USO, SINTRAEMPAQUES, EDUCAL, SINTRAGRIN and the Association of Sand and Gravel Workers of Quindio.
The most violent month was April: eleven union leaders were murdered, five in January, four in February, five in March, four in May, four in June, one in July, one in August and two in September.
According to Alberto Vanegas, the distribution of menacing pamphlets against union leaders does not cease, the “Aguilas Negras”, the “Urabeños” and other extreme right wing groups continue to threaten and to persecute members of the labour movement.
“A high percentage of those who threaten and persecute union leaders, are members of private paramilitary armies financed by great land owners,” emphasized the CUT’s representative of Human Rights.
An 87% of the human rights’ violations are committed against the Colombian Unitary Central of Workers, CUT- said Luis Alberto Vanegas.
The following is the list of the union leaders murdered this year:
Norberto García Quiceno, SUTEV- CUT worker (Trujillo- Valle) murdered on January 2nd, 2010.
Carlos Andrés Cheiva, SUDEA-CUT worker (Leticia- Amazonas) murdered on January 18th, 2010.
Jaime Bazante Guzmán, ASOINCA-CUT union activist (Caloto- Cauca) murdered on January 19th, l 2010.
Henry Saúl Moya Moya, ASTRACATOL-CUT union activist (Rovira- Tolima) murdered on January 22nd , 2010.
Overto Beltrán Narváez, ADEMACOR-CUT worker (San antero- Córdoba) murdered on January 28th, 2010.
Rigoberto Polo Contreras, ADEMACOR- CUT worker (Tuchín- Córdoba) murdered on February 3rd, l 2010.
Omar Alonso Restrepo, union activist FEDEAGROMISBOL, un-confederate (Montecristo- Córdoba) murdered on February
10th, 2010.
José de Jesús Restrepo, FEDEAGROMISBOL union activist (Montecristo- Bolívar) murdered on February 10th, 2010.
Beatriz Alarcón, teacher ADIDA-CUT (Sabaneta - Antioquia) murdered on February 13th, 2010.
Francisco Ernesto Goyes Salazar, SIMANA-CUT worker (Santa Cruz - Nariño) murdered on March 12th, 2010.
Israel Verona, ACA-CUT worker (Saravena- Arauca) murdered on March 17th, 2010.
Rosendo Rojas Tovar, AICA-CUT worker (San Vicente del Caguán- Caquetá) murdered on March 20th 2010.
Gustavo Gil Sierra, ADIDA-CUT union activist (Aranjuez- Antioquia) murdered on March 20th, 2010.
Miyer Antonio Garcés Rosero, ASOINCA-CUT worker (Popayán- Cauca) murdered on March 26th, 2010.
Javier Cárdenas Gil, Management Committee member, Association of Sand and Gravel Workers of Quindío-CUT (La Tebaida- Quindío) murdered on April 1st, 2010.
Henry Ramírez Daza, Management Committee member, SINTRABECÓLICAS-CUT (Ibagué- Tolima) murdered on April 11th, 2010.
Arnulfo Torres Sánchez, ADIDA-CUT (Itagüí- Antioquia) worker, murdered on April 15th, 2010.
Francisco Valerio Orozco, ADIDA-CUT worker (Bajo Cauca- Antioquia) murdered on April 16th, 2010.
José Isidro Rangel Avendaño, SNTT-CUT worker (Cartagena- Bolívar) murdered on April 19th, 2010.
Jorge Iván Montoya Torrado, SNTT-CUT worker (Cartagena- Bolívar) murdered on April 20th, 2010.
Elkin Eduardo González, ADEMACOR-CUT worker (Tierralta- Córdoba) murdered on April 21st, 2010
Aliciades González Castro, ACA-CUT worker (Tame- Arauca) murdered on April 21st, 2010.
Diego Fernando Escobar Munera, ASONAL JUDICIAL-CUT worker (Medellín- Antioquia) murdered on April 22nd, 2010.
Benito Díaz Álvarez, ADEMACOR-CUT union activist (San Bernardo del viento- Córdoba) murdered on April 25th, 2010.
Javier Estrada Ovalle, SUTEV-CUT (Cali- Valle) union activist, murdered on April 27th, 2010.
Fabián Franco Tigreros, Management Committee member SINALSERPUB-CUT (Jamundi- Valle) murdered on May 4th, 2010.
Francisco Antonio Abello Rebollo, SINTRAINAGRO-CUT union activist (Pueblo viejo-Magdalena) murdered on May 17th, 2010.
Leslien Torcoroma Peñaranda Blanco, ASINORT-CUT worker (Abrego- Norte de Santander) murdered on May 18th 2010.
Martin Isaac Soto Niebles, SINTRAELECOL-CUT worker (Santamarta- Magdalena) murdered on May 30th, 2010.
Hernán Abdiel Ordoñez Dorado, Management Committee member ASEINPEC-CGT (Cali- Valle) murdered on June 5th, 2010.
Nelson Camacho González, USO-CUT worker (Barrancabermeja- Santander) murdered on June 17th, 2010.
Ibio Efrén Caicedo, ADIDA-CUT union activist (Caucasia- Antioquia) murdered on June 19th 2010.
Fernando Lobo Aragón, ASOINCA-CUT worker (Santander de Quilichao- Cauca) murdered on July 31st, 2010.
Luis Germán Restrepo, Management Committee member SINTRAEMPAQUES-CGT (Medellín- Antioquia) murdered on August 12th, 2010.
Legardo Forero Moreno, EDUCAL-CUT worker (Anserma- Caldas) murdered on September 9th, 2010.
Nelson Murillo Taborda, Management Committee member SINTRAGRIN-CUT (El Castillo- Meta) murdered on September
9th, 2010
Source: CUT Colombia prensacut@cut.org.co