HERNAN ORTIZ MEMBER OF CUT NATIONAL COMMITTEE ASSASSINATED
----------------------------------------------------------

THE GENOCIDE CONTINUES AGAINST COLOMBIAN TRADE UNIONS

On 12th April 2002 HERNAN DE JESÚS ORTIZ, a teacher and member of the
National Committee of the United Workers Federation of Colombia (CUT),
member of the Executive Committee of the Teachers Union in Colombia,
also Vice-President of the Caldas United Teachers Association (FECODE),
an active member of the CUT Human Rights National Team and office bearer
of the Caldas Permanent Human Rights Committee (CPDH), and JOSÉ ROBEIRO
PINEDA, ex-leader of the Electricity Industry Workers Union of Colombia
(SINTRAELECOL) who was an outstanding union leader in Caldas and always
involved in the trade union movement's activities - were ASSASSINATED.

This political, anti-union murder was carried out by the paramilitary
groups which operate in that part of the country. The two leaders were
dining together in a restaurant in Aranzazú Municipality, in Caldas
Department. At approximately 8.00pm they were interrupted by a group of
armed men who arrived in a van. They were totally undefended and fell
dead as victims of the assassination attack.

HERNAN ORTIZ was an outstanding human rights defender and union leader
in the CUT. We have repeatedly communicated to the Interior Minister
reports of the danger to trade union leaders and the need for a
Protection Programme for leaders who have had their lives threatened and
been declared military targets by the AUC. The names of these and other
human rights defenders and social leaders appear on the paramilitaries'
list of those who are to be assassinated. But our request for protection
have not been responded to.

We say today that the assassination of our comrades HERNAN and ROBEIRO
is due to the lack of political guarantees to enable human rights
defenders and trade union leaders to carry out our work.

With all due respect, we consider that Doctor Juan Somaviva, the
governments, employers and workers with representation and
responsibility at the International Labour Organisation - ILO - must now
take careful note of this GENOCIDE that is being carried out against the
United Workers federation of Colombia - the CUT.

Since the Colombian Government with President Pastrana at its head does
NOT implement the policies necessary for us to carry out our union
activity, then a COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY must be agreed at the June 2002
meeting of the ILO Council of Administration. This would be a mechanism
to call the attention of the Colombian State and Government to halt this
genocide against our federation, and the systematic, massive and serious
violation of human rights as with the treacherous assassinations of
HERNAN ORTIZ and JOSÉ ROBEIRO PINEDA.


HECTOR FAJARDO ABRIL JESÚS ANTONIO GONZALEZ LUNA
General Secretary Director Human Rights Departament

13th April, 2002

SOLIDARITY ACTIONS
------------------

SEND MESSAGES TO / ENVIAR MENSAJES O CARTAS A:

ANDRÉS PASTRANA ARANGO
Presidente de la República,
Presidencia de la República
Carrera 8 No. 7-26 Palacio de Nariño,
Santa Fe de Bogotá
Teléfono. +57.1.5629300 ext. 3550 (571) 284 33 00
Fax +(57)1 - 286 74 34 - 286, 68 42 -284 21 86
Mailto:  rdh@presidencia.gov.co

And to:

FOR THOSE IN THE U.K.
Mr VICTOR RICARDO,
Ambassador to the UK,
Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
Flat 3A, 3 Hans Crescent, London SW1X 0LN, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 9177. Fax: (020) 7581 1829.
E-mail:  mail@colombianembassy.co.uk
 
FOR THOSE IN CANADA:
Fanny Kertzman Yankelevitch
Ambassador for Colombia
360 Albert Street, Suite 1002
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7
Fax:      (613) 230-4416
Email:  embajador@embajadacolombia.ca 
 
FOR THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES: 
Luis Alberto Moreno
Embajador de Colombia
2118 Leroy Place, NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 387 8338
Fax:     (202) 232 8643
 as@colombiaemb.org

with copies to:

CUT ;
Colombia Solidarity Campaign ;
National and International Campaign Against Privatisation, Corruption
and the Criminalisation of Social Protest .