Chile's Largest Labor Union Calls For Solidarity With Colombia (abused workers, not Uribe's gov't)

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Santiago Times

CHILE’S LARGEST LABOR UNION CALLS FOR SOLIDARITY WITH COLOMBIA

(Aug. 3, 2007) Chile’s largest labor union, the Central Workers Union, CUT, declared its support for labor organizing activities in Colombia, following the publication of an Amnesty International, AI, report confirming that union activists in that country regularly face death threats and arbitrary arrests.

At a press conference held Thursday, CUT vice-president for women María Rosas said: “Colombia’s government is trying to hide what happens (to workers) so as not harm its international image. We (in Chile) know what it’s like to live under a violent dictatorship, but we also know that there can be violence under democracy.”

AI reported that 2,245 Colombian union members were murdered in the 15 years between 1991 and 2006, with another 3,400 receiving threats and 138 disappeared. Almost half of the killings are attributed to rightist paramilitary groups – allegedly linked to Colombian politicians, and 43 percent of the deaths were linked to Colombian state security forces.

“A couple of weeks ago (Colombia’s president Alvaro) Uribe blamed the trade unions for opposing a Free Trade Agreement with the United States,” explained Intermerican Workers Organization representative, Victor Baez, who was also at the CUT press conference. “Saying this, in a country like Colombia, is the same as ordering the paramilitaries to execute union members.”


Read more: http://www.tcgnews.com/santiagotimes/index.php?nav=story&story_id=14367&topic_id=15

[arcos]

1. Way to go CUT!

We all stand in solidarity with all those opposed (and fighting) unfair "free trade" agreements, especially in places like Colombia where their own life is in jeopardy.

K&R!