Human rights groups denounce threats in Colombia

A pair of international human rights groups denounced the murders and death threats of labor union leaders in Colombia.

A communiqué by Amnesty International (AI) called attention to harassment against the leader of a farm worker’s cooperative. According to AI, Oscar Maussa left Antioquia province after being pressured by paramilitaries. (President Alvaro Uribe used to be the governor of Antioquia where it was alleged that paramilitarism grew under his tenure).

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the dangerous climate for union members in Colombia including citing the deaths of two union leaders last week. A HRW senior official called on the Colombian government to ensure that the assassins are not impune of their crimes:

“Colombia has a long and ugly history of killing trade unionists, and a dismal record when it comes to bringing their killers to justice,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “To make the country safe for unions, the authorities must ensure these cases are vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”

Sources- Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Wikipedia, Reuters

Image- BBC News (“Trade unionists ‘attacked by both right-wing and left-wing militants’”)