Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002
Colombia: Genocide against CUT - Take Action L4

VERSION ESPAÑOL p1-2 ENGLISH VERSION pp 2- 5


VERSION ESPAÑOL
===============

CONTINUA GENOCIDIO CONTRA LA CENTRAL UNITARIA DE TRABAJADORES DE
COLOMBIA - CUT

44 Asesinatos, 5 Atentados, 7 Secuestrados, 3 Desaparecidos
..........innumerables amenazados y desplazados forzados en lo
transcurrido del año 2002

ASESINATOS

· El día 20 de marzo de 2002, en la vía que conduce a la Planta de
Generación Eléctrica del Rió Bobo, en el Departamento de Nariño, fueron
asesinados LUIS OMAR CASTILLO y JUAN BAUTISTA CEVALLOS, afiliados al
Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Electricidad de Colombia - SINTRAELECOL
- CUT -.

El compañero Luis Omar Castillo tenía amenazas en el Municipio de San
Pablo y por este motivo había sido trasladado a otra planta eléctrica de
la región en donde fue interceptado junto con Juan bautista y fueron
ejecutados por los Paramilitares.

· El día 22 de marzo de 2002, fue asesinado el docente ERNESTO ALFONSO
GIRALDO MARTINEZ, en la vía que conduce del Municipio de Rió Negro a la
Ciudad de Medellín en el Departamento de Antioquia, era Fiscal Delegado
de la Asociación de Institutores de Antioquia -ADIDA - CUT -.

De acuerdo a información enviada por la Asociación de Institutores de
Antioquia -ADIDA - FECODE - , el compañero fue sacado de su residencia
el día jueves 21 de marzo y luego baleado; quedando gravemente herido;
posteriormente cuando era remitido al Hospital San Vicente hacia la
ciudad de Medellín, a pocos metros del casco urbano fue sacado de la
ambulancia y rematado en la camilla en que era  trasladado, quedando
clara  en este caso una violación del Derechos Internacional Humanitario
-DIH-.  Según información del Periódico El Tiempo del día 24 de marzo
este crimen y violación al DIH fue llevado a cabo por las FARC en esa
región del país.

SECUESTRADOS  Y DESAPARECIDOS

· El día 23 de marzo de 2002, en la vía que conduce a Tame, Departamento
de Arauca, en el sitio denominado Pueblo Nuevo, fue interceptado  y
desaparecido el docente JOSÉ ORLANDO CÉSPEDES GARCÍA, directivo de la
Asociación de Educadores de Arauca -ASEDAR- y a la fecha se desconoce su
paradero.

· El día 25 de marzo de 2002,  fueron secuestrados por los Paramilitares
los compañeros JOSÉ PÉREZ y HERNANDO SILVA, en momentos en que se
dirigían hacia su sitio de trabajo fueron interceptados en el sitio
Quebrada La Nata, del Municipio de Araguaney, Departamento de Casanare.
Son afiliados a la Unión Sindical Obrera - USO - CUT -, no se conoce más
información a la fecha.

Los anteriores hechos de barbarie reflejan la situación real de
Colombia, que no existe un respeto por los Derechos Humanos y donde el
principal responsable de esta barbarie es el Estado, con el Gobierno a
la cabeza del Doctor Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República.
Con el precedente que continua la impunidad en el 100% de los  más 3.800
crímenes llevados a cabo en 15 años de existencia de nuestra Central.

Toda esta situación dramática del movimiento sindical nos lleva a
solicitarle solidaridad a la Comunidad internacional y nacional, ONG's
de derechos Humanos, sindicatos y demás entidades que denuncien estos
crímenes y exijan al Gobierno Colombiano reales garantías para continuar
con nuestra actividad sindical.

JESÚS ANTONIO GONZALEZ LUNA
Director Departamento Derechos Humanos
Bogotá D.C., Abril 3 de 2002


ENGLISH VERSION
===============

LATEST REPORT:
-------------
GENOCIDE CONTINUES AGAINST CUT - UNITED WORKERS FEDERATION OF COLOMBIA
----------------------------------------------------------------------

44 Assassinations, 5 Assassination Attempts, 7 Kidnappings, 3
Disappearances .... innumerable threats and forced displacements so far
this year

ASSASSINATIONS

· On 20th March 2002, LUIS OMAR CASTILLO and JUAN BAUTISTA CEVALLOS
members of the Electricity Workers Union SINTRAELECOL - CUT were
assassinated on the road that goes to the Rió Bobo Electricity
Generation Plant, in Nariño Departament.

Comrade Luis Omar Castillo had received death threats in the town of San
Pablo and for this reason had moved to work at another electricity plant
in the region, where he and Juan Bautista were intercepted by the
paramilitaries and executed.

· On 22nd March 2002, the teacher ERNESTO ALFONSO GIRALDO MARTINEZ was
assassinated on the road from the town of Rió Negro to the city of a la
Medellín in Antioquia Departament. He was a Delegate of the Antioquia
Teachers Association ADIDA - CUT.

According to the information sent by ADIDA and their national union
FECODE, the comrade was taken from his home on 21st March and shot and
seriously wounded. Later, he was being taken to San Vicente Hospital
towards Medellín. Just a few meters outside the city limits he was
pulled out of the ambulance and finished off as he lay in the stretcher,
in clear violation of International Humanitarian Law. According to a
report in El Tiempo newspaper of 24th March, this murder and violation
of International Humanitarian Law was carried out by the FARC operating
in this part of the country.

KIDNAPPINGS AND DISAPPEARANCES

· On 23rd March 2002, JOSÉ ORLANDO CÉSPEDES GARCÍA a teacher and leader
of the Arauca teachers Association ASEDAR was intercepted and
disappeared on the road to Tame, Arauca Departament, at the place called
Pueblo Nuevo [New Town]. At this moment his whereabouts are not known.

· On 25th March 2002,  comrades JOSÉ PÉREZ and HERNANDO SILVA were
kidnapped by the Paramilitares. They were on their way to work when they
were intercepted at a spot called Quebrada La Nata, which is in the town
of Araguaney, Casanare Departament.  They are members of the Oilworkers
Union USO - CUT. No more is known of their condition.

These incidents highlight the barbarity of the current situation in
Colombia, where there is no respect for Human Rights. The principle
responsibility for this lies with the Colombian State, headed by the
government of Doctor Andrés Pastrana Arango, President of the Republic.
There has been 100% impunity for those responsible for carrying out the
more than 3,800 murders carried out against our members in the last 15
years.

This dramatic situation of the trade union movement impels us to ask for
the solidarity of the national and international community, and that
human rights NGOs, trade unions and other entities denounce these
murders and demand of the Colombian Government real guarantees that
would allow us to continue with trade union activity.

JESÚS ANTONIO GONZALEZ LUNA
Director, CUT Human Rights Departament
Bogotá D.C., 3rd April 2002


2. ACTION REMINDER
------------------

SEND MESSAGES TO / ENVIAR MENSAJES O CARTAS A:

ANDRÉS PASTRANA ARANGO
Presidente de la República,
Presidencia de la República
Carrera 8 No. 7-26 Palacio de Nariño,
Santa Fe de Bogotá
Teléfono. +57.1.5629300 ext. 3550 (571) 284 33 00
Fax +(57)1 - 286 74 34 - 286, 68 42 -284 21 86
Mailto: rdh@presidencia.gov.co

And to:

FOR THOSE IN THE U.K.
Mr VICTOR RICARDO,
Ambassador to the UK,
Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
Flat 3A, 3 Hans Crescent, London SW1X 0LN, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 9177. Fax: (020) 7581 1829.
E-mail: mail@colombianembassy.co.uk

FOR THOSE IN CANADA:
Fanny Kertzman Yankelevitch
Ambassador for Colombia
360 Albert Street, Suite 1002
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7
Fax:      (613) 230-4416
Email: embajador@embajadacolombia.ca

FOR THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES:
Luis Alberto Moreno
Embajador de Colombia
2118 Leroy Place, NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 387 8338
Fax:     (202) 232 8643
as@colombiaemb.org

with copies to:

USO ;
CUT ;
Colombia Solidarity Campaign ;
National and International Campaign Against Privatisation, Corruption
and the Criminalisation of Social Protest .


PICKET THE COLOMBIAN EMBASSY
----------------------------

STOP THE TERRORISM AGAINST USO!
FREE GILBERTO TORRES! FREE JOSE ANTONIO PEREZ! FREE HERNANDO SILVA!
END IMPUNITY FOR THE PARAMILITARIES!

4pm - 6pm Friday 5th April

3 Hans Crescent, London SW1 (back of Harrods, near Knightsbridge tube)

Called by Colombia Solidarity Campaign. All support welcome.
(or organise similar protest activities).


BP AGM
------
The Colombia Solidarity Campaign invites you to:

                        PUT BP ON TRIAL
                        ===============

at BP's Annual General Meeting 10am Thursday 18 April 2002,
Royal Festival Hall,London SE1 (Embankment tube)

BP's oil pipeline companies are refusing to pay compensation to 300
peasants in Colombia whose livelihoods have been ruined. The families
were forced to abandon their land after two oil pipelines passing
through their farms caused extensive environmental damage. The families
now live in acute poverty in shanty towns in the city of Medellín. The
Colombia Solidarity Campaign is inviting representatives of the families
to BP's AGM to ask why the company has failed to pay adequate
compensation.

* BP is the largest foreign investor in Colombia

* Colombia has the world's highest trade union murder rate.  Ninety
members of Colombia's oil workers' union (USO)  have been murdered since
1988.  Six USO members were killed January-March 2002.

* BP's drilling sites are militarized. An entire brigade of the Army
(the 16th Brigade) is dedicated to defending oil infrastructure in
Casanare, the region where BP operates. This brigade is implicated in
extra-judicial killings.

* BP refuses to meet the oil workers union and will not allow them to
visit the drilling sites.

* Two peasant activists, who protested against BP polluting their land,
were shot dead in 1995.

* BP employs a private security firm, Defence Systems Limited. This
London-based company was set up by former SAS members and is being
investigated by the Colombian state prosecutor for allegedly training
the Colombian police in 'lethal' counter-insurgency tactics.


COLOMBIA PIPELINE VICTIMS DEFENCE FUND
--------------------------------------
There is an urgent need to support the victims. Their cases have been
held up for several years in Colombia's interminable legal system as the
multinational's OCENSA/ODC consortium put in one blocking move after
another. Meanwhile the victims are in need of health care, food and
welfare as well as financial support for their legal defence. All
donations will be put to supporting the victims and their claim. Make
payable to "Colombia Solidarity Campaign" and write on the back "CPV
Defence Fund" and send to our address below.

For more information contact the Colombia Solidarity Campaign.

colombia_sc@hotmail.com  tel: 07950 923 448
Post: PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ

--
Andy Higginbottom
Co-ordinator Colombia Solidarity Campaign

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