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11 April, 2006
Señor Alvaro Uribe Vélez
Presidente de la República
Palacio Nariño
Carrera 8 No. 7-2
Bogotá
By Fax: ++57-1-337.58.90 and ++57-1-566.20.71
Mr. President,
I am writing on behalf of the 20 million workers worldwide of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions to express our horror and disgust at the brutal murder of brother Daniel Cortez Cortez, a member of Sintraelecol, ICEM affiliate in Colombia.
Brother Cortez was assassinated at night in Puerto Parra, near Barrancabermeja, on Sunday April 2nd, reportedly by a group of paramilitary members. He was shot in the face and died instantly. Brother Cortez leaves behind a wife and four children. He had been working for 16 years at the Empresa Electrificadora de Santander and had been an active trade union member.
His death is the latest expression of the fact that the seemingly endless series of human and trade union rights violations in Colombia has far from ended. Your country remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for trade unionists to do their work. On top of that, most murders of trade union members go uninvestigated and unpunished.
As to the assassination of Daniel Cortez, a full and open investigation into this murder needs to be started as a matter of urgency. Those responsible for this hideous crime need to be brought to justice without delay.
In addition to that, I repeat that it is up to the Colombian government to guarantee a safe working place for trade unionists. It is high time to deliver on earlier promises and provide effective protection for trade unionists in Colombia.
Yours sincerely,
Fred Higgs
General Secretary
ICEM
CC:
Francisco Santos, Colombian Vice-President,
Jorge Alberto Uribe, Colombian Minister of Defence,
Dr Carlos Franco, Head of the Presidential Human Rights Program
Colombian Embassy in Brussels