The Colombian government continues to ignore major human rights violations, raising serious doubts about Colombia’s readiness for free trade agreements, claimed Colombia’s largest trade union on Wednesday.
“We declare that in Colombia the rights of workers continue to be violated…in 2012, 18 unionists were assassinated, 220 disappeared and during the government of [President Juan Manuel] Santos we have received 953 threats. This worries us because violence against trade unions is growing, and yet the government still says Colombia is ready for free trade agreements, even though [the] human rights [of trade unionists] continue to be violated”, Alberto Vanegas Zuluaga, the Central Confederation of Workers’ (CUT) director of human rights, told Colombia Reports.
BACKGROUND: Colombia’s biggest union a military target: Drug gang
BACKGROUND: Rights groups want EU to reject FTA with Colombia
BACKGROUND: Colombia’s FTA with EU will be one-sided: Union president
“We have raised a labor agenda with [the government of] Juan Manuel Santos but they have yet to either respond or pay attention to our proposals,” said Vanegas.
The director’s main assertion is that neoparamilitary groups have continued intimidating and assassinating union members on behalf of the same business interests that the now defunct-AUC served. By claiming that the new criminal organizations are not linked to the paramilitaries, a blind eye can be turned on their history and financial interests.
BACKGROUND: Justice and Peace Law, Human Rights, Parapolitics, Labor Union Violence
Colombia Reports contacted the office of United States trade representative Ron Kirk regarding the deteriorating safety conditions for Colombian unionists and whether the US government would consider taking any sort of action. The spokesperson for ambassador Kirk stated that the Obama administration continues supporting “