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UNI Global Union condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the death threats against Prosegur union leader in Medellín, Colombia, Ovidio Quiroz. The wife of Quiroz received an anonymous phone call, with an electronically disguised voice, saying that she could expect to receive the body of her husband “in pieces”. UNI Global Union is extremely concerned for the life and physical safety of Ovidio Quiroz.

It is not the first time that Quiroz has received threats. In 2012, a manager at Prosegur in Medellín formally accused Quiroz of “terrorism”, which caused him to fear for his life. In Colombia, linking individuals to the armed conflict in the country could result in their assassination. 

In 2013 and 2014, Quiroz was followed in the street by unknown individuals on a motorcycle causing him to fear for his life. In another case, an unknown person took photographs of Quiroz’s son playing football.

Quiroz, and seven other unionized workers, are being sued by Prosegur for supposed defamatory statements made against the company and its managers during a protest. Prosegur is demanding its own employees, who earn around US$500 a month, for US$500,000. Five of the eight workers being sued were working their regular shifts at Prosegur at the time of the protest, and could not have made any of the alleged statements against the company.

Unknown individuals, without identification, visited the homes of workers being sued by Prosegur, claiming they were from the General Prosecutors Office checking whether the workers owned US$500,000 in assets. Some of these unknown individuals forced entry into the homes of workers.

 Prosegur’s response to date

Prosegur’s head office in Spain is aware of all threats against Quiroz and other workers at Prosegur. In November of 2014, Prosegur sent a labour relations manager to Colombia and Peru who undertook interviews with threatened workers, together with managers potentially responsible for threats. Less than one month after the interviews, a Prosegur manager in Neiva, Colombia punched a worker who is a union leader in the mouth.

UNI has sent four letters to Christian Gut and Helena Revoredo, the CEO and President of Prosegur, condemning the acts of violence and threats against union leaders in Prosegur. The company has chosen not to condemn the acts of violence and threats against union leaders like Ovidio Quiroz.

UNI’s demands

That the company emits a communication in Colombia, and other countries, stating that Prosegur does not tolerate threats against union leaders.

That Prosegur desist from the trumped up charges for defamation against the eight unionized workers from Medellín, Colombia.

That the company immediately contacts the union to offer assistance in the face of this serious situation.

On Monday, the union in Colombia, Sintravalores, will present a formal criminal complaint condemning the threats against Ovidio Quiroz, and solicit extra protection from authorities for the union leader.

Prosegur is the third largest private security company in the world with more than 160,000 employees. 85% of Prosegur’s profits are generated in Latin America, where there have been serious complaints made about human rights abuses.