[NYTr] Colombia Urgent Action-Son of Coca-Cola Union Leadr Kidnapped, Tortured

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by mart

Colombia Solidarity - UK - Oct 1, 2007
http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk 
E-mail: info at colombiasolidarity.org.uk

URGENT ACTION! SON OF COCA-COLA WORKER KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED

At about 4pm on 27th September 2007, ANDRES DAMIAN FLOREZ RODRIGUEZ
(son of JOSE DOMINGO FLOREZ, a worker at a Coca-Cola bottling plant and
a leader of the trade union SINALTRAINAL) was returning from college to
his home at No 204-102, 38th Avenue in the Andes barrio of
Floridablanca in Santander when he was accosted by three individuals
from a black van, they were carrying arms, communications radios and
were wearing balaclavas. The three men took Andres in the van by force,
threw him on the vehicle floor and started hitting him.

During this journey one of the assailants called on the radio and said
"we've got the S O B, what should we do with him?". The response from
the other end was, "take him for a ride, give him a belting and leave
him with the message". The voice from the other end of the radio added,
"tell him to tell his Dad that we won't rest until we seen him cut into
pieces". The assailants threw Andres out of the van at a place called
Palenque on the road to Lebrija, opposite the mechanics workshops just
after the interchange bridge. This new incident against Coca-Cola
workers in SINALTRAINAL and their close family members occurs after
repeated death threats. Threats have been received on 10 February, 26
July, 9 August, 13 August, 20 and 25 September 2007.

This throws into relief the fact that on 24 September 2007, we
communicated to Coca-Cola that SINALTRAINAL has re-launched its
worldwide protest campaign. We denounce transnational corporations for
their policy of violating human rights, and we do not back away from
this in spite of the threats and anti-trade union repression that has
been perpetrated against SINALTRAINAL members.

We demand:

* That Coca-Cola corporation and the Colombian State cease all
repression against the workers,

* That the material and intellectual authors of this persecution be
investigated,

That the rights to life, association and trade union freedom be
guaranteed.

Yours sincerely,

LUIS JAVIER CORREA SUAREZ
President, SINALTRAINAL


RECENT BACKGROUND

SINALTRAINAL Presents Full Complaint to ILO

On 18th September SINALTRAINAL lodged a formal complaint to the
Internacional Labour Organisation (ILO)

citing both Coca-Cola and the Colombian state authorities for
victimisation, delegitimising the exercise of trade union rights and,
finally, the destruction of the trade union inside the corporation.

Death Threat from Paramilitary Black Eagles At 12.30 on 25th September,
2007 a death threat was left at the office of SINALTRAINAL in
Bucaramanga and was discovered just after local leaders DOMINGO FLORES,
NELSON PEREZ and LUIS EDUARDO GARCIA had attended a forum to discuss
candidates in the upcoming elections for city Mayor and the Governor of
Santander.

SINALTRAINAL due to Testify against Paramilitaries

This new death threat occurred the day after SINALTRAINAL attended a
court hearing in Bogotá, in the ILO offices, convened by the Circuit
Judge of Valledupar, where union President LUIS JAVIER CORREA SUAREZ
and other SINALTRAINAL members and their families are witnesses against
the paramilitaries responsible for the assassination of union militant
Luciano Romero.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send URGENT ACTION messages: Expressing your concern at the
kidnapping and torture of ANDRES DAMIAN FLOREZ RODRIGUEZ, and with the
above demands to:

residencia de la República
Dr. Álvaro Uribe
Vélez, Cra. 8 No..7-26,
 Palacio de Nariño,
Santa fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+57 1) 566.20.71
E-mail: auribe at presidencia.gov.co

and to the Colombian Embassy in London
mail at colombianembassy.co.uk

with copies to Sinaltrainal Internacional 
areainternacional at sinaltrainal.org and to 
info at colombiasolidarity.org.uk