Javier Correa: Defending the human rights of workers amidst enormous danger
Posted on: 03/09/08

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You don’t need to tell Javier Correa that Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a trade unionist. He lives that reality every day.

Javier recently received a death threat signed by a paramilitary organization, called the Black Eagles. It said: "…communist guerrillas disguised as trade unionists – Javier Correa, stop your ideological discourse – you must leave the department or we will be obliged to carry out the military objective and … hand over the bodies of your families in a mass grave …”

Javier is a leader of SINALTRAINAL, a union that represents food workers. In recent years, SINALTRAINAL has been involved in a number of labour disputes, often with large multinational companies. The union has taken legal action in US courts, alleging that personnel of Colombian bottling plants under licence for Coca Cola were implicated in killings and other human rights violations against trade unionists by paramilitaries. Working with other human rights defenders, Javier and his union also continue to be at the forefront of public protests against the involvement of state security forces and army-backed paramilitaries in grave abuses.

There is a heavy price to pay for such actions. Javier Correa lives in constant fear of attack, in a country where more than 2,500 members of trade unions have been killed since 1986.

A second message, also signed by the Black Eagles, called Javier a terrorist and continued: “Because you did not obey our order to leave, you will have to bear the consequences, which will be cruel and start with your family members.”

In Colombia, threats like these cannot be taken lightly. Already this year, 41 trade unionists have been murdered, according to the Colombian Confederation of Trade Unions. Some victims bore marks of torture.

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Attacks on trade unionists in Colombia

On August 26th, Alejandro Blanco Rodriguez, a member of Colombia’s Oil Workers Union (USO) was murdered, the latest of more than 40 trade unionists killed in Colombia this year alone. 

Since 1986, more than 2,500 trade unionists have been killed or disappeared. Thousands of others have been the target of death threats, forcing many to flee their homes and even to seek asylum in other countries.

It is not only trade unionists themselves who are targeted. Amnesty International has documented many cases in which the relatives of trade unionists have been threatened or killed.

All of this violence is intended to intimidate trade unionists and undermine their legitimate work to defend human rights, particularly in the context of labour disputes, negotiations over working conditions, mobilizations against the privatization of public services or public sector enterprises, as well as opposition to other government policies.

Those responsible for the vast majority of threats and attacks on trade unionists and their families have never been brought to justice.

According to recent statistics in which clear evidence of responsibility is available, some 49 per cent of human rights abuses against trade unionists were committed by paramilitaries, while some 43 per cent were committed by the security forces. Just over 2 per cent were attributable to guerrilla forces.

During Colombia’s 40-year armed conflict, human rights organizations, trade unions and other social organizations have often been labelled as guerrilla collaborators or supporters by the security forces and paramilitaries. As a result they often suffer threats, enforced disappearance or killings.

Amnesty has received disturbing information about a number of operations targeting trade unionists with extrajudicial execution that appear to be coordinated by security forces in collusion with paramilitary forces. These operations often coincide with arbitrary legal proceedings against trade unionists which are coordinated by the armed forces and based on "evidence" provided by paid military informers rather than on full and impartial criminal investigations by civilian investigating authorities.

Amnesty is also concerned that despite a controversial process in Colombia to "demobilize" army-backed paramilitary groups, trade unionists continue to be threatened and killed by paramilitaries who were supposedly demobilized. This is disturbing evidence that the "demobilization" process, which is supported by the Canadian government, is not resulting in an improvement in the dire human rights situation for trade unionists.

Some of Amnesty’s Concerns in Colombia

Halt abuses by armed actors.
State security forces, army-backed paramilitaries and guerrilla organizations must end ongoing human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, which continue to constitute a crisis. Investigate and break links between state security forces and paramilitaries, in line with repeated UN recommendations.

Respect the rights of human rights activists.
Ensure that those who work for the defense of human rights -- including members of trade unions, Indigenous organizations, campesino leaders, women's groups and other community activists -- are free to carry out their peaceful activities – without harassment, intimidation or imprisonment.

Stop impunity.
Enable prosecutors to properly investigate human rights abuses and bring those responsible to justice. 

Trade and human rights.
Ensure that economic actors – including Canadian companies and investors, as well as the terms of a controversial new Canada-Colombia free trade agreement do not contribute to human rights violations.

If you want to get involved in Amnesty Canada’s work for human rights in Colombia, contact our Colombia campaigner.

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