Two More Trade Unionists Assassinated in Colombia

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
ITUC OnLine
July 6, 2010

Brussels

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.