Human rights and social organisations, trade unions, members of the National and International Human Rights Campaign Against Privatisation and the Criminalisation of Social Protest repudiate and condemn the vile assassination committed on our comrade and friend AURY SARÁ MARRUGO and we urge the national Colombian and international community to demand that the Colombian government puts an end to the genocide that is being committed against trade union leaders in Colombia.

The facts:

1. On Friday 30th November 2001 AURY SARÁ MARRUGO, President of the Cartagena Branch of the oilworkers union USO was at 8.35am travelling from his home to the USO office in Cartagena, accompanied by his bodyguard ENRIQUE AREYANO, in their car registration number CGS 897. He was stopped by several armed men from three vehicles (blue and grey cars and a red van) who forced him to get out of his vehicle and took him off to an unknown destination.

2. On 3rd December 2001 the self named Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) [lit. United Self Defence of Colmbia] admitted having trade union leader AURY SARÁ MARRUGO in their power and they demanded the presence of Camilo Gómez, High Commissioner for Peace. According to this group which communicated with the Commissioner through the internet, the union leader "... has been found guilty of multiple crimes by the tribunal, including kidnapping, cattle robbery, extortion and terrorism". They assured that "We are only disposed to hand him over to you in person in one of our camps in the jungle and then you will explain to us what you are really doing as Commissioner".

3. At about 10.30am today, 5th December 2001, as humanitarian actions were being taken by USO to liberate the comrade, AURY SARÁ MARRUGO was found dead along with his bodyguard.

4. This vile assassination of our comrade adds to the detention by order of the Special Attorney 241 in Bogotá on 16th October, one day before the national stoppage that USO had prepared to protest against the violation of the human rights of their members, the following USO leaders:
* LUIS VIANA ex-president of the USO refinery section, who is now retired, in Santa Marta;
* EDGAR MOJICA president of USO Bogotá, in Bogotá
* RAMON RANGEL Human Rights and Peace Commission of USO;
* JAIRO CALDERON ex-leader of USO Barranca currently in the administration of state oil corporation Ecopetrol;
* FERNANDO ACUÑA ex-president of Fedepetrol and sacked by Ecopetrol;
* ALONSO MARTINEZ worker at Ecopetrol who was displaced due to death threats, an activist also detained in Bogotá.

5. Previously there were the assassinations of ARTURO ESCALANTE MOROS in the town of Tibú in Northe Santander Department. That same day FERNANDO LERMA a temporary worker at the oil refinery in Barrancabermeja, Santander Department, was assassinated.

6. Moreover there have been constant death threats and murder attempts on HERNANDO HERNANDEZ, who is the National President of USO. several other leaders of the union have been followed and cahsed. In May 2001, EDGAR MOJICA, President of the Bogotá Branch of USO and DANIEL RICO, Vice-President of FUNTRAENERGÉTICA and Press and Publicity Secretary of USO's National Executive Committee received threatening telephone calls at the office of USO's negotiating commission and at the Bogotá USO headquarters, where it was announced that there would be attempts on their lives if they continued with trade union activity. The suspects who made the calls identified themselves as members of the "Capital Block" of the self styled AUC.

7. In June and July 2001 USO leaders in Bogotá reported to the authorities that they were permanently being followed by individuals on high capacity motorcycles, and that this surveillance continued in the immediate vicinity of the trade union office and the Ecopetrol headquarters from several vehicles, particularly by men in a grey Toyota van without number plates who carried hand guns and rifles.

8. Then the report of death threats on the USO leaders lead the Bogotá police and the special security unit SIJIN to carry out a risk study, which concluded that it was urgently necessary to set up a security scheme for the threatened leaders. This consisted of a vehicle to move around in, two bodyguards that they trusted, arms, bullet proof vests, communications, and walky-talkies linked into the system used by trade unionists and human rights defenders. However nether Ecopetrol nor the Interior Ministry provided the necessary guarantees for the security of the threatened leaders. On the contrary the persecution grew worse and has reached the dramatic point of these two terribly sad murders.

WE DEMAND:

a. That the Colombian state suspends whatever order of execution or assassination, arbitrary detention, forced disappearance that its officials are intending to carry out against the lives and security of leaders of the Unión Sindical Obrera - United Workers Union and other trade unionists and human rights defenders in Colombia.

b. That investigations are set in motion to identify and punish in exemplary fashion the intellectual and material authors of the assassination of AURY SARÁ MARRUGO and his bodyguard ENRIQUE AREYANO as well as the other assassinations and forced disappearances against trade union and social leaders in the country.

c. That all necessary operations are carried out to arrest members of the Autdefensas Unidas de Colombia who admitted publicly that they had AURY SARÁ MARRUGO and ENRIQUE AREYANO in their power.

d. We demand that the Colombian state guarantees the free exercise of trade union activity, and the promotion and defence of human rights by the different social, union and human rights organisations, in which USO is included.

e. That the results are given publicly of the investigations into those responsible for the genocide against the working class, the trade union, social and human rights activists and leaders.

Colombia, 5th December 2001


Asociacion Para la Investigaciòn y Acciòn Social - NOMADESC;
La Union Sindical Obrera - USO; Sindicato de Trabajadores de Las
Empresas Municipales de Cali - SINTRAEMCALI;
Coorporación Servicios Profesionales Comunitarios - SEMBRAR
Sindicato De Los Trabajadores Universitarios De Colombia - SINTRAUNICOL
Central Unitaria De Los Trabajadores CUT - VALLE DEL CAUCA
Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Mineria en Colombia - SINTRAMINERCOL
Movimiento Estudiantil del Valle del Cauca y Nariño
Fundación Comité De Solidaridad Con Presos Politicos Seccional Valle del
Cauca; Sintramunicipio Bugalagrande; Sintramunicipio Yumbo;
Sintramunicipio Dagua; Sintrametal Yumbo; Sutev; Asonal Judicial Valle
del Cauca; Sintrahospiclínicas; Sinaltrainal Bugalagrande.

VIGILS 10th December 2001 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
========================================================
>
BELFAST
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the NI group of Trade's Councils
have printed a leaflet/postcard which we will be distributing Saturday
8th December in Belfast City Centre mustering at 12noon outside City
Hall. For details of Derry, Strabane, Enniskillen, contact Clare
Moore, Workplace Learning Development Officer, Irish Congress of Trade
Unions Tel: 028 90247940

BRIGHTON
Friday 7th 2pm meeting with Sussex University Students and talk on Plan
Colombia at 7.30pm. Phoenix Community Centre
Saturday 8th Vigil 12-2pm Bond Street

> BRISTOL
Monday 10th Vigil in centre of Bristol opposite Hippodrome 6.30-7.30pm
Public meeting to follow

CARDIFF
Monday 10th Vigil 5:00pm - 6:00pm at the Nye Bevan memorial statue,
Queen Street, Cardiff.

LONDON
6pm-8pm Monday 10th DOWNING STREET, WHITEHALL, SW1 (Westminster tube)
No More Paramilitary Massacres! Stop State Terrorism! Stop Plan
Colombia! Yes to Human Rights! Peace with Social Justice!

NORWICH
Monday 10th December activities at University of East Anglia
Meeting 1-3pm in Elizabeth Frye, Room 1.34. Vigil 7pm The Square, UEA

PLYMOUTH
5:00pm-7:00pm Monday 10th Charles Cross, followed by a meeting with
Video

If there is not a vigil in your area then organise one.

REMEMBER ON 10th DECEMBER TO SEND AN ELECTRONIC PROTEST
----------------------------------------------------
to the Colombian Ambassador to the UK.
Fax: 020 7581 1829 e-mail:  colombia@colombia.demon.co.uk

ADVANCE NOTICE
==============
Conference 'Plan Colombia - Clearing the Way For the Multinationals' and
the AGM of the Colombia Solidarity Campaign will be held in London
23rd/24th February 2002 with special guest from USO.
Andy Higginbottom
Colombia Solidarity Campaign Co-ordinator
PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ
e-mail:  colombia_sc@hotmail.com
Tel: 07950 923 448