URGENT ACTION: Drummond unionist in Colombia in grave danger

(Posted November 12, 2003)

The life of Jimmi Rubio, an employee of the Alabama-based Drummond mining company and a Sintramienergetica union leader, is in grave danger as a result of his work to defend the rights of Colombian workers and to identify human rights violators. The paramilitaries have offered $500,000,000 pesos (US$178,000) as a reward for his murder. He is in a special governmental protection program but it has recently been discovered that information has been leaked and that his assassination is imminent. His wife and two children are also in danger.

The Canadian and US Embassies have refused to receive the Human Rights officials from the Fiscalía and the Procuraduría, Claudia Ortiz and Luis Carlos Toledo, who have all of the information and evidence about the danger faced by Mr. Rubio and his family.

Please send letters TODAY to these embassies urging them to meet with Ms. Ortiz and Mr. Toledo, review the information, and issue a visa to Mr. Rubio to allow him and his family to leave Colombia immediately.

Source: International Labor Rights Fund, Washington DC, November 10, 2003

Colombian Embassy in Washington, DC

Ambassador Luis Alberto Moreno
2118 Leroy Place NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone (202) 387 8338
Fax (202) 232 8643

emwas@colombiaemb.org