Colombia
09.08.02
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: kidnapping and killing of Trade Unionists
Case COL 090802
Assassinations / Kidnapping of Trade Unionists
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Colombia:
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has received information from reliable sources concerning the continuing acts of repression and hostility towards Colombian workers, which has resulted, on a number of occasions, in numerous deaths. According to the Workers’ Union “Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT)”, in the last few days Mr. Wilfredo Camargo Aroca, Mr. Rodrigo Gamboa Goy and Mr. Roberto Rojas Pinzón, all associated with trade unions, have been assassinated.
According to the source, on 31 July 2002 at about 7.00am, Mr. Wilfredo Camargo Aroca was killed at his place of work in the municipality of Puerto Wilches in the department of Santander. Mr. Aroca worked for the Oleaginosas Las Brisas company, and was member of the industrial and agricultural union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria Agropecuaria (SINTRAINAGRO-CUT), where he was the secretary for claims.
Another assassination took place on the same day in the city of Valledupar in the department of Cesar in which Mr. Rodrigo Gamboa Coy, the President of the sub-directorate for the Cesar region of the union Trabajadores del Incora (SINTRADIN-CUT) was killed. Mr. Gamboa also worked for indigenous and farmer communities in the region.
Another event reported concerns Mr. Roberto Rojas Pinzón, who was killed on 26 June 2002 in the department of Arauca, by the farm called La Prevención situated on the road leading from the municipality of Cravo to the city of Arauca. Mr Rojas Pinzón was an ambulance driver and belonged to the for health workers’ association “Asociación Nacional de Trabajadores y Empleados de Hospitales, Clínicas, Consultorios y Entidades Dedicadas a Procurar la Salud de la Comunidad (ANTHOC-CUT)”.
The source also reports on the kidnapping of workers associated with the petrol industry union “Unión Sindical de la Industria del Petróleo (USO)”. Mr. Alonso Pamplona, a member of the Claims Committee of the USO, was reportedly kidnapped on the 31 July in the municipality of Torres in the department of Santander. He was released the following day in the outskirts of the town on Kilometre No.15, reportedly with four bullet wounds.
Another member of USO who worked for the Columbian Petrol Company ECOPETROL, Mr. Gonzalo Ramírez Triana, was kidnapped on July 30th, 2002 on the way to the Station of Villeta in the same town in the department of Cundinamarca.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is deeply concerned for the general condition of repression and threats endured by many workers and particularly by trade unionists in Colombia, which regularly manifests itself in murders and kidnappings and other such serious crimes. OMCT wishes to point out that this situation represents a violation of civil and political rights, of the right to free speech and of fundamental human rights and liberties. OMCT condemns the persecution of civil society, the apparent impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of these acts and the lack of effective protection measures taken by the municipal, governmental and national authorities to prevent these events.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. Immediately take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the persons taken hostage in the aforementioned events and of Colombian workers in general, as well as that of their families;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events and guarantee that those responsible are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
iii. comply immediately with recommendations issued by international and regional human rights bodies, including the Bureau of the High Commission for Human Rights, the Human Rights Commission of the UNO and the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights, as well as non-governmental human rights organisations;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country, in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses:
· S.E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 n°.7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 566 20 71
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santafé de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado con Cra. 52, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35; e-mail: siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; pilaque@cgm.mil.co
· Mission Permanente de la Colombie auprès de l’Office de las Nations Unies et des institutions spécialisées a Genève. Chemin du Champ d’Anier 17-19, 1209 Genève. Tel : (+41) 22 798 4554, 798 4555. E-mail: mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the diplomatic representative of Colombia in your country.
Geneva, August 9th, 2002
Kindly inform the OMCT of any action you have undertaken indicating the appeal code in your response.
Assassinations / Kidnapping of Trade Unionists
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Colombia:
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has received information from reliable sources concerning the continuing acts of repression and hostility towards Colombian workers, which has resulted, on a number of occasions, in numerous deaths. According to the Workers’ Union “Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT)”, in the last few days Mr. Wilfredo Camargo Aroca, Mr. Rodrigo Gamboa Goy and Mr. Roberto Rojas Pinzón, all associated with trade unions, have been assassinated.
According to the source, on 31 July 2002 at about 7.00am, Mr. Wilfredo Camargo Aroca was killed at his place of work in the municipality of Puerto Wilches in the department of Santander. Mr. Aroca worked for the Oleaginosas Las Brisas company, and was member of the industrial and agricultural union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria Agropecuaria (SINTRAINAGRO-CUT), where he was the secretary for claims.
Another assassination took place on the same day in the city of Valledupar in the department of Cesar in which Mr. Rodrigo Gamboa Coy, the President of the sub-directorate for the Cesar region of the union Trabajadores del Incora (SINTRADIN-CUT) was killed. Mr. Gamboa also worked for indigenous and farmer communities in the region.
Another event reported concerns Mr. Roberto Rojas Pinzón, who was killed on 26 June 2002 in the department of Arauca, by the farm called La Prevención situated on the road leading from the municipality of Cravo to the city of Arauca. Mr Rojas Pinzón was an ambulance driver and belonged to the for health workers’ association “Asociación Nacional de Trabajadores y Empleados de Hospitales, Clínicas, Consultorios y Entidades Dedicadas a Procurar la Salud de la Comunidad (ANTHOC-CUT)”.
The source also reports on the kidnapping of workers associated with the petrol industry union “Unión Sindical de la Industria del Petróleo (USO)”. Mr. Alonso Pamplona, a member of the Claims Committee of the USO, was reportedly kidnapped on the 31 July in the municipality of Torres in the department of Santander. He was released the following day in the outskirts of the town on Kilometre No.15, reportedly with four bullet wounds.
Another member of USO who worked for the Columbian Petrol Company ECOPETROL, Mr. Gonzalo Ramírez Triana, was kidnapped on July 30th, 2002 on the way to the Station of Villeta in the same town in the department of Cundinamarca.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is deeply concerned for the general condition of repression and threats endured by many workers and particularly by trade unionists in Colombia, which regularly manifests itself in murders and kidnappings and other such serious crimes. OMCT wishes to point out that this situation represents a violation of civil and political rights, of the right to free speech and of fundamental human rights and liberties. OMCT condemns the persecution of civil society, the apparent impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of these acts and the lack of effective protection measures taken by the municipal, governmental and national authorities to prevent these events.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. Immediately take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the persons taken hostage in the aforementioned events and of Colombian workers in general, as well as that of their families;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events and guarantee that those responsible are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
iii. comply immediately with recommendations issued by international and regional human rights bodies, including the Bureau of the High Commission for Human Rights, the Human Rights Commission of the UNO and the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights, as well as non-governmental human rights organisations;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country, in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses:
· S.E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 n°.7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 566 20 71
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santafé de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado con Cra. 52, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35; e-mail: siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; pilaque@cgm.mil.co
· Mission Permanente de la Colombie auprès de l’Office de las Nations Unies et des institutions spécialisées a Genève. Chemin du Champ d’Anier 17-19, 1209 Genève. Tel : (+41) 22 798 4554, 798 4555. E-mail: mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the diplomatic representative of Colombia in your country.
Geneva, August 9th, 2002
Kindly inform the OMCT of any action you have undertaken indicating the appeal code in your response.