More Trade Unionists Killed in Colombia In First Eight Months of 2008 Than in All of 2007

Assassins murdered Alexander Blanco Rodriguez in front of his coworkers during a shift change on August 26th, 2008. Mr. Blanco, a leader in the oil workers' union, was the 41st Colombian trade union member to be murdered this year.

Between January 1st and December 31st 2007, 39 union members were murdered, a significant decline from the previous year. Unfortunately this trend has been reversed, with this number already surpassed in 2008 with four months remaining in the year.

According to the Escuela Nacional Sindical, there has been an increase in murders of union leaders over union members, with 15 leaders killed so far this year compared to 10 last year. In addition, 125 death threats were registered before the end of August.

USLEAP wishes to express our deepest sympathies to the families and coworkers of each of these men and women. There is a nearly-complete list of murdered union members below the highlighted cases.

Recent Assassinations

José Omar Galeano Martínez was killed by assassins on August 23rd. He was the president of the Colombian Lottery Workers' Federation, FECOLOC. The CUT reports that Mr. Galeano Martínez was leading a struggle to defend the rights of lottery workers against the privatization of national lotteries when he was killed.

Manuel Erminson Gamboa Meléndez was murdered on August 13th. He was 32 years old and the father of three children. Mr. Gamboa Meléndez was the vice-president of the Campesina Asociation for the Defense of Putamayo and a member of the National Executive Committee of Fensuagro.

Luis Mayusa Prada, 46 years old, was murdered on August 8th in Arauca. He had taken one of his four children to a doctor's appointment, and upon returning to his house at 8 a.m., he was shot by assassins. Mr. Mayusa Prada had been a member of the leadership of the CUT in his department.

Colombian Trade Unionists Assassinated January 1 through August 30, 2008 (by name, date of murder, city, and union)

ZULUAGA MARIO 02-Ene-08 MEDELLIN ASMEDAS

PÉREZ MONTES ISRAEL ANDRÉS 11-Ene-08 VALLEDUPAR SINTRADRUMMOND

LÓPEZ MIGUEL ANDRÉS 11-Ene-08 AMAZONAS ASEINPEC

PÉREZ ZAPATA RAMIRO DE JESÚS 12-Ene-08 SAN JERONIMO ADIDA

GONZÁLES ISRAEL 24-Ene-08 SAN ANTONIO FENSUAGRO

SUÁREZ LEAL JOSÉ YEBRAIL 28-Ene-08 BELLO SIGGINPEC

DUARTE ACERO JOSE MARTIN 02-Feb-08 LA MACARENA SINTRAMBIENTE

MESA PASACHOA MARIA DEL CARMEN 08-Feb-08 TAME ASEDAR

TRUJILLO MARIA TERESA 09-Feb-08 SANTANDER DE QUILICHAO
ASOINCA

BENAVIDEZ SAMBONI ARLEY 09-Feb-08 BALBOA ANTHOC

GIRALDO MAMIÁN JOSÉ 09-Feb-08 LA VEGA ASOINCA

CARVAJAL RAMÍREZ CARMEN CECILIA 04-Mar-08 OCANA ASINORT

GOMEZ ALZATE GILDARDO ANTONIO 07-Mar-08 MEDELLIN ADIDA

GÓMEZ ROZO LEONIDAS 08-Mar-08 BOGOTA UNEB

MUÑOZ BENAVIDEZ VÍCTOR MANUEL 12-Mar-08 AGUSTIN CODAZZI ADUCESAR

BURBANO CARLOS 12-Mar-08 SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUÁN ANTHOC

JIMÉNEZ MANUEL ANTONIO 15-Mar-08 PUERTO ASIS FENSUAGRO

QUIROZ JOSE FERNANDO 16-Mar-08 PUERTO ASIS FENSUAGRO

ASTROS AMAYA JOSÉ GREGORIO 18-Mar-08 CARTAGO ASEINPEC

GONZÁLEZ MONTES ADOLFO 22-Mar-08 RIOHACHA SINTRACARBON

TROCHEZ PEÑA JULIO CÉSAR 22-Mar-08 SEVILLA SUTEV

HERRERA RUALES EMERSON IVÁN 01-Abr-08 VALLE DEL GUAMUEZ ASEP

DÍAZ LÓPEZ LUZ MARIELA 01-Abr-08 VALLE DEL GUAMUEZ ASEP

LEAL MEDINA RAFAEL ANTONIO 04-Abr-08 ARMERO AICA

ARIZA OMAR 07-Abr-08 SEVILLA SUTEV

GUTIERREZ RUIZ LUIS ENRIQUE 15-Abr-08 TAUSA SINDESENA

CABALLERO ARIZA JESÚS HEBERTO 18-Abr-08 BARRANQUILLA SINDESENA

RIVERA FUNEQUE GUILLERMO 28-Abr-08 IBAGUE SINSERVPUB BTA

CHIQUILLO PASCUALES TOMÁS ALBERTO 10-May-08 ALGARROBO

SINTRAPROACEITES SUR DEL CESAR

GELVES LUIS ORLANDO 11-May-08 TAME FENSUAGRO

VERGARA SÁNCHEZ MARCELO 05-Jun-08 BUGA SUTEV

PELÁEZ CASTAÑO FAVIER DARIO 13-Jun-08 CAICEDONIA ASEINPEC

RECALDE ORDÓÑEZ WALTER ANIBAL 19-Jun-08 BUGA ASEINPEC

MUÑOZ GUARÍN JOSE HUMBERTO 22-Jun-08 RESTREPO SUTEV

MENDOZA CARREÑO HALY MARTÍN 09-Jul-08 CUCUTA ASINORT

PALOMEQUE VALENCIA JESÚS 05-Ago-08 CUCUTA ASINORT

MAYUSA PRADA LUIS 08-Ago-08 SARAVENA CUT

GAMBOA MELÉNDEZ MANUEL EMIRSON 13-Ago-08 PUERTO ASIS FENSUAGRO

GALEANO MARTÍNEZ JOSÉ OMAR 23-Ago-08 BUGA FECOLOT

FLOREZ BARRERA PABLO 24-Ago-08 MAGDALENA SINTRAMINERGETICA

BLANCO RODRIGUEZ ALEXANDER 26-Ago-08 USO