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Colombian Unionists Killed and Detained!Posted August 9, 2004 Recent events in Colombia have proven yet again that human rights are not being protected properly, and most often this plays out in violence against unionists. Friday, August 6, three Colombian unionists, Alirio Martínez, Leonel Goyeneche, and Jorge Prieto, were killed near Caño Seco, in the municipality of Saravena. Alirio Martínez was president of the National Peasants Association ADUC- Asociación Nacional de Usuarios Campesinos, Leonel Goyeneche was a member of the Executive Committee of United Confederation of Colombian Workers -CUT Arauca and Jorge Prieto belonged to the Executive Committee of the National Association of Hospital Workers -ANTHOC and the CUT. The three leaders were assassinated in an operation carried out this morning by the Revéis Pizarro Battalion of the Colombian Army. Samuel Morales, Presidente of the CUT in Arauca, and Raquel Castro, a member Arauca Teachers Association (ASEDAR) were both detained in the same operation. These leaders have been spokesmen for the Araucana community in the numerous mobilizations, marches, civil stoppages that have taken place in the face of military and paramilitary action against the population that has cost so many lives. At the same time they have led the continual and effective protests against the violation of human rights that took place in the bombing of the village of Santo Domingo in 1998. The National Army has claimed that the three leaders attacked a military unit while it was attempting to rescue a kidnapping victim, and that the unit responded "militarily." Though the National Army has opened an investigation into the three deaths, there is both suspicion about its account of the attack and great concern about the competency of the military judicial jurisdiction carrying out the investigation, given that there are already multiple cases in Colombia and especially in Arauca, in which military authorities manipulate the evidence to hide their responsibility and put blame on the victims. TAKE ACTIONSend messages immediately to the people listed below demanding that the Colombian Government urgently form a Verification Commission composed of government officials and Human Rights NGOs that travel to Arauca to guarantee an effective investigation, by verifying the facts and avoiding any tampering with evidence. Please also ask for the immediate release of Samuel Morales and Raquel Castro, expressing concern for their safety and insisting that they not be tortured. Write to (these have email addresses, so it can be quick!!): - Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de DIH - Fiscalía General de la Nación |
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