No Let Up in Violence in Colombia or Guatemala

No Let Up in Violence in Colombia or Guatemala

Colombia is likely to lead the world once again this year in number of trade unionists murdered, with over 30 trade unionists murdered as of early November. Guatemala, usually the second most dangerous country for trade unionists in Latin America, is likely to be surpassed by Honduras where at least 12 trade unionists have been killed in 2009 as unions have helped lead opposition to the June 28 coup.

Impunity remains near total in both Colombia and Guatemala, with only one person reported behind bars for any of the dozen plus unionists murdered over the past three years in Guatemala.  USLEAP’s latest impunity report on Colombia, Systemic Violence Requires Strategic Justice, examining all 2008 rulings in cases involv- ing murders of trade unionists, found that Colombia failed to put a dent in its backlog of cases.  (A full analysis of Colombia’s progress on impunity in 2009 will not be completed until mid-2010.)

USLEAP also organized a Midwest tour for Colombian human rights lawyer Yessika Hoyos who highlighted a growing scandal of illegal surveillance of unionists and others by the government’s top security agency.