News on Violence Against Trade Unionists in Colombia

On December 8, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent to the Obama Administration a letter with 18 other U.S.

Sending a strong signal to the Colombian government as well as to the Obama Administration, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and seven key members of Congress have formed a Congressional Monitoring Group on Labor Rights in Colombia “to ensure that progress is made on labor rights in the coming months.”   

In a November 3, 2011 letter to Presidents Obama and Santos, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called for a peaceful resolution of two major labor conflicts in Colombia, at Campo Rubiales and Puerto Wilches, calling them a test of whether a Labor Action Plan agreed to in April 2011 represents more than pa

On October 12, the U.S. Congress voted to approve the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, along with two other trade pacts with Panama and South Korea. The Congressional debate focused largely on Colombia, with testimony that included discussion over labor rights abuses, the effects of the agreement on small farmers in Colombia, and U.S.  job loss.

The time has come to say NO to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement once and for all. On October 3 President Obama submitted to Congress the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, along with two other Bush-era trade agreements with South Korea and Panama.

On October 3 President Obama submitted to Congress the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, along with two other Bush-era trade agreements with South Korea and Panama. The House is expected to hold separate floor votes on the agreements as early as October 11.

The Administration is expected to soon send to Congress the long-pending Colombia Free Trade Agreement.  In a September speech to a joint session of Congress, President Obama again made clear his support of the controversial agreement, which has been delayed for years due primarily to concerns about violence against tra

Two leading congressional human rights advocates this week wrote four Obama cabinet officials asking for a comprehensive accounting of U.S. aid to Colombia’s scandal-ridden intelligence agency following a Washington Post story that U.S. funds were reportedly used for illegal activities, including spying and smear campaigns against Supreme Court justices and civil society groups.

Over 300 civil society organizations from the U.S. and Colombia and another 100-plus academics and individuals from the U.S.

A new report issued on June 8, 2011 by the International Trade Union Confederation shows that more trade unionists were murdered in Colombia in 2010 than in the rest of the world combined.