Unionists say 51 members killed in Colombia in 2010

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Xinhua

Unionists say 51 members killed in Colombia in 2010
13:11, March 04, 2011

A total of 51 trade unionists were killed in 2011 in Colombia and seven are missing, an increase in the last two years, the "Escuela Nacional Sindical" (ENS) said Thursday.

The 51 victims were added to the 2,857 labor leaders killed in Colombia over the past 25 years, making Colombia "the most dangerous country in the world for union activity," an ENS statement said.

The statement said that of the 51 victims, about 29 were teachers.

"Since August last year, in the first six months of the current government (of President Juan Manuel Santos), 20 trade unionists were killed, three were missing and seven suffered attacks," the ENS said.

Read more: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/7308337.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. $7 BILLION of our tax dollars in military aid to Colombia. Think about it.

According to Amnesty International, about HALF of the trade unionist murders (most of which are TEACHERS) are committed by the Colombia military itself and the other half by their closely tied rightwing paramilitary death squads. They are doing it with OUR MONEY!

It's very clear to me that we are looking at ONE multinational corporate/war profiteer policy, which is aimed at busting teachers' and other unions here, and decapitating the union leadership in Colombia in preparation for U.S. "free trade for the rich."

How long will it be before these multinational corporate/war profiteer monsters are using OUR military and OUR police and death squads paid with OUR tax dollars to murder teachers HERE?

It can't happen here, right? This is A WAR that is being waged against democracy and human and civil rights, with one front in Colombia and another front in Wisconsin and Ohio and Pennsylvania and all over the U.S. We need to throw these bastards off, and I think we need to do it starting first with their goddamn 'TRADE SECRET' voting machines, which are now controlled largely by one, private, far rightwing connected corporation--ES&S (which bought out Diebold). They control the very 'counting' of our votes!

[Omaha Steve]

2. K&R!