Two More Trade Unionists Assassinated in Colombia

The trade union world is again in mourning after the assassination of two more trade unionists in Colombia. The ITUC, together with its Colombia affiliates the CUT, the CGT and the CTC, has roundly condemned the murders, expressing its deep shock at the news of the killing of Nelson Camacho González, a member of the oil industry’s united workers’ union USO (Unión Sindical Obrera) and of Ibio Efrén Caicedo, an activist from the Antioquia teachers’ association ADIDA (Asociación de Institutores de Antioquia).

Ibio Efrén Caicedo, who had a strong track record as a trade union activist, was assassinated on the day before the 20 June presidential elections. The murder of Ibio Efrén brings to seven the number of unionised teachers assassinated in Antioquia in 2010 so far.

Three days earlier, Nelson Camacho González died after being shot at repeatedly at the bus stop on his way to work. The murder of Nelson Camacho González is another in a series of systematic attacks and threats against members and leaders of the oil workers’ union during industrial disputes. The union has been in conflict with the multinational British Petroleum in Casanare, with Ecopetrol-UT on the Andean pipeline, with TGI on the departments of Boyacá y Casanare, and with Ecopetrol over various other labour disputes.

In two protest letters to the Colombia authorities, the ITUC demands that President Uribe and his government immediately initiate a full investigation to identify and bring to justice those responsible for these two murders that have further weakened the credibility of Colombian democracy.

To read the protest letters: