Letter from Francisco Ramirez Cuellar

Posted December 6, 2004

Dear CLR activist,

As you know, life as a union leader in Colombia is extremely difficult, due in great part to a disregard for workers rights, and ultimately, for human rights overall.

In the past two months, there have been urgent calls for solidarity in the cases of some Colombian unionists in particular. We asked you to write letters in the case of two unionists illegally detained in August (see http://www.campaignforlaborrights.org/alerts/2004/aug09-colombia.htm). Please see the end of this email for more current information.

Below is a note sent to Campaign for Labor Rights from Francisco Ramirez Cuellar (translation follows). Many of you sent letters in support of his plight and urging protection for him. He thanks you for all your support and both he and CLR hope we can continue to exercise our solidarity in such a way as to put an end to these gross violations of labor and human rights.

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Estimados compañeros de CLR,

En nombre de todas y todos los trabajadores Colombianos quiero agradecerles su petición para esclarecer los crímenes de los 3 compañeros de Arauca, la libertad de los dos compañeros que injustamente están detenidos después de las acciones criminales del ejercito colombiano, que pagado por las compañías multinacionales... acaba con nuestras organizaciones sociales con pretexto de combatir la guerrilla, cuando lo que hacen realmente es "proteger" las compañías transnacionales que operan en nuestro territorio.

También quiero agradecerles la petición para mi protección, pues como lo habrán leído en el New York Times del 18 de Noviembre, es el séptimo intento de asesinato que sufro y he tenido la suerte de salir con vida, suerte que no ha acompañado a mas de 4.000 sindicalistas asesinados desde 1986. ...Aunque se que es difícil saludarlos personalmente, al menos quería que supieran lo agradecidos que estamos las trabajadoras y los trabajadores colombianos por su trabajo.

Gracias por sus acciones, gracias por no dejarnos solos,

Thank very much for you solidarity!!

Francisco Ramirez Cuellar
Presidente de Sintraminercol

Translation:

In the name of all Colombian workers, I would like to thank you for your petition [to the government of Colombia] to investigate the murder of three of our compañeros in Arauca and for the freedom of two compañeros unjustly detained by the Colombian army, which, paid by multinational companies, destroys our social organizations under the pretext of combating guerillas, when all they really do is protect transnational companies that operate in our territories.

I would also like to thank you for the request for my personal protection; as you may have read in the New York Times (November 18), this was the seventh assassination attempt on my life and I'm lucky to be alive, lucky, unlike the other 4,000 unionists murdered since 1986. Though it is difficult to personally thank you, I wanted you to at least know how thankful we, the Colombian workers, are for you work.

Thank you for taking action, thank you for not leaving us alone,

Francisco Ramirez Cuellar

President of Sintraminercol

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It appears that the original email address sent to you for President Uribe has been shut-down; possibly because of the amount of attention Uribe's administration has received recently, especially after the torture and murder of another unionist (see http://www.campaignforlaborrights.org/alerts/2004/oct17-colombia.htm).

However, if you still wish to write President Uribe about your concerns and the most recent injustice (see http://www.campaignforlaborrights.org/alerts/2004/nov06-colombia.htm), please fax President Uribe at 011-571-337-5890 or try this email:

ppdh@presidencia.gov.co .

Thank you for your work on this important issue!