Colombia: Time to stop killing of trade unionists

Colombia: Time to stop the killing and persecution of trade unionists and activists

Four decades of armed conflict in Colombia have had a catastrophic effect on the country's civilians. Caught between the security forces who have consistently colluded with and supported paramilitary groups and, on the other side, armed opposition groups, tens of thousands of people have been killed, "disappeared", tortured or kidnapped, while millions of others have been forcibly displaced.

On International Workers’ Day, Amnesty International is remembering the plight of Colombian trade unionists who have borne the brunt of the armed conflict by highlighting the case of trade unionists in the department of Arauca, an oil-rich area in the north east of the country.

AI calls on the international trade union movement to continue to show solidarity with their colleagues in Colombia and to insist that their own governments put pressure on the Colombian authorities to take measures to stop the killings and the persecution of trade unionists and activists.

Read the full feature on amnesty.org - http://web.amnesty.org/pages/col-010506-feature-eng

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