Francisco Antonio Abello Rebollo

Francisco Antonio Abello Rebollo was assassinated by armed hitmen on May 17, 2010 in Magdalena, Colombia.  Francisco was employed by Inversiones Palo Alto Gnecco Espinosa and Company.  Francisco, along with 185 other workers, participated in a strike between December 2009 and January 2010 in an attempt to gain the recognition of Sintrainagro and the approval of the collection bargaining agreement.

The CUT took part in the strike, taking the opportunity to show that violence and police evacuation of workers would prevent the right to the free exercise of union association and collective negotiation.  The CUT hoped to avoid a new massacre of workers in this way.  Despite this, the union threats against workers and leaders persisted.  With Francisco’s murder, the threats began to turn into reality.

CUT continues to call on all organization affiliates, to the national and international union movements, and to all human rights organizations to demand from the national Government a real policy that will protect the life and human rights of the trade unionists who continue to be assassinated.