STATE FORCES ATTACK 1st MAY DEMONSTRATION - PUTTING THE CUT'S HUMAN
RIGHTS DIRECTOR IN HOSPITAL

The United Workers Federation of Colombia - CUT condemns before the
national and international community the brutal attitude of the national
police against the 1st May workers' march in the city of Santiago de
Cali, Cauca Valley Department.

En violent scenes, the police assaulted our comrade JESÚS ANTONIO
GONZALEZ LUNA, member of our National Executive Committee, who is the
Director of our Human Rights Department and a memeber pof the University
Workers Union SINTRAUNICOL-CUT. The blows against JESÚS were so serious
and brutal that he is now in the intensive care unit of the regional
hospital and his prognosis is unclear.

In nearby Yumbo town, in Cauca Valley Department, two workers HENRY
ALBERTO MOSQUERA and RICARDO VALVUENA, members of the Yumbo Municipal
Workers Union were also injured.

This occurred when the CUT, has sought an ILO COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY to
sanction the Colombian Government for violating fundamental rights. In
2001 the CUT had 191 members assassinated, and so far this year we have
had 65c assassinations. Today the Government, through the Ministry of
National Defence boasted of the ethical change in the armed forces and
United States certification of the armed forces, even the number of
violations has increased in the recent period.

We are demanding that the Pastrana Government makes an investigation
with concrete results, and that those responsible are revealed.

We call on the social organisations and human rights defenders to
protest to the Colombian Government against these brutal assaults by the
state forces against the workers, and against the aggression to which
our comrade and defender of human rights JESÚS ANTONIO GONZALEZ LUNA
fell victim.

DOMINGO RAFAEL TOVAR ARRIETA
Director Organisation Departament
Bogotá D.C., 2 May 2002


URGENT ACTION
=============

DETAINED MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE INFILTRATORS ON THE 1ST
OF MAY MARCH IN THE CITY OF SANTIAGO DE CALI

The Association for Research and Social Action Nomadesc and the other
organizations that belong to the National and International human Rights
Campaign Against Corruption, Privatization and the Criminalization of
Social Protest, denounce the persecution, harassment and aggression
carried out by the forces of Law and Order, and State Security Forces,
during International Workers Day.

The Events:

1. At 11.30 in the morning, whilst approximately 10,000 workers were
approaching the 'parque de las banderas' located in the intersection
between streets 5 and 32 and 33, a group of workers detected a woman and
a man who had infiltrated the march. It was later found that they were
members of military intelligence. They were filming the march and taking
photographs from the bridge between Street 5 and 26. These people
attempted to escape, and the workers tried to prevent them, and demanded
that the police identify them and arrest them.

2. Members of the Anti-Riot Police belonging to the Mobile Anti
Disturbance Squadron ESMAC reacted by beating workers and they rescued
the won who got into patrol vehicle 731 of the Metropolitan Police.
Several trade union leaders and human rights defenders were beaten
including LUIS HERMNANDEZ MONROY, President of Sintraemcali, JESÚS
GONZALEZ, member of the Human Rights the National CUT (Central Unified
Workers union), ARIEL DIAZ - CUT Human Rights Representative for the
Valle de Cauca Region, OSCAR FIGUEROA and DOMINGO ANGULO members of the
leadership of Sintraemcali BERENICE CELEYTA, President of Nomadesc,
WILIAN ESCOBAR leaders of SIDELPA and Sintraemcali lawyer, ALEXANDER
LOPEZ, Representative of the Cámara (House of Representatives) for the
Valle del Cauca region.

3. The worst injuries were inflicted on JESÚS GONZALEZ, who is presently
in hospital in Comfenalco, who has serious wounds to the back of his
head, a 1.5 cm gash on the top of his head all caused by a wooden police
baton. He is now under constant observation.

4. During these events JHON WEINER GONZÁLEZ, bodyguard of Jesús
González, who was attempting to protect the leaders from police attack
was given a death threat by one of the members of the police who said "
Remember my face, because you are going to die you son of a bitch", and
beaten with a wooden police baton in different parts of his body. At
the same time another policeman pointed a tear gas canister launcher in
his face. He was later taken to the Police Immediate Attention Centre
(CAI), located in the 'parque de las banderas', where the event was
recorded in the presence of the 'defensor del Pueblo' (Peoples
Defender). He was later released.

5. In a similar manner several members of the anti riot police gave
death threats to several SINTRAEMCALI workers among them Gustavo Tacuna
and Jorge Isaac Cabezas, telling them that they were not going to "live
to tell". In a similar manner some time ago in the central region of the
Valle de Cauca members of the army said the same thing and announced the
presence of the AUC with campesino deaths following, actions which have
been committed since the 31st of July and have left hundreds of
campesinos and trade union leaders dead.

6. At around 12.00 o'clock the Peoples Defender Hernán Sandoval and two
other members of this government organisation, Representative of the
Camara Alexander López, Ariel Díaz of the Cut Valle, among others, filed
a charge that the two infiltrators should be detained, and it was
revealed that they were both members of Military intelligence with the
positions of Sergeant Vice Premio, and Lieutenant of the Military
Intelligence B2.

7. At the same time as the earlier events, on the bridge on Street 5
another suspicious individual was detained by the bodyguard of
SINTRAEMCALI leader RUBEN DARIO GONZALEZ, and it was found that he was a
member of SIJIIN (Intelligence Forces). In the same place other students
and workers were beaten, the most serious was to an activist from
Sintramunicipio (Municipal Workers Union of Jumbo) Yumbo HENRY ALBERTO
MOSQUERA, who suffered a beating to the head and was rushed to the
Clínica Rey David, where he was treated.

8. Trade Union leaders and members of the Social and political Front in
the Valle de Cauca Region ALVARO PULIDO - member of the leadership of
UNEB and RICARDO VALVUENA member of the Solidarity Committee of the CUT,
were both badly beaten, the first with serious facial wounds, and the
second with wounds to his right leg. During these events three people
were arrested by police and taken away in a police tank with the number
028, and a truck with the number 731.

9. Additionally we would add that there were many suspicious people on
the march, but only three were successfully identified. The names of
those detained from the Military Intelligence have not been as we are
now carrying out an investigation.

The gravity of these events demands a Preventative Urgent Action as the
presence of the Military Intelligence confirms information that trade
union leaders have obtained that there is a list of people who the
forces of Law and Order are attempting to prosecute, after the agreement
signed by SINTRAEMCALI, which includes prominent trade union and human
rights leaders in the region. Likewise these leaders are also on a
paramilitary assassination list.

It is important to note that this is not the first time during public
events where trade union, social organisations and human rights
activists converge that Forces of law and Order and members of the
Military Intelligence have been detained. Some of the most recent cases
are the following: In January 2002, two people were detained outside the
EMCALI CAM Tower during the workers occupation of the building. One was
an ex-police agent, and the other was a member of Military Intelligence.
Likewise on the 26th of July 2001, 5 members of the 3rd Brigade
(Colombian Army) were detained whilst carrying out surveillance of
SINTRAEMCALI lawyers and trade union leaders, amongst them LUIS
HERNÁNDEZ MONROY. These members of Military Intelligence were released
and the only remaining evidence is the charge filed at the DAS
(Department of Security Matters).

For the above reasons we call on you to demand that the Colombian
government does the following:

1. Demand that the Colombian government, in compliance with Directive
07, replies in writing explaining why the Forces of Law and Order, the
army, and other security organisms of the state follow and harass trade
union and human rights leaders.

2. That they carry out an impartial judicial process against those
detained, locating their possible relationship to paramilitary
organisations in the region who have been responsible for the
assassination of several leaders in the region.

3. Demand that the photos and recordings made by the members of the
Military Intelligence, which are now in the hands of the police, are
revealed.

4. That a document is produced by regional authorities where they commit
themselves to respecting the work of trade union and human rights
leaders in the region.

National and International Human Rights Campaign Against Corruption,
Privatisation and the Criminalisation of Social Protest (NIHRCACPCSP)


SEND MESSAGES OR LETTERS 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:  pastrana@presidencia.gov.co and  rdh@presidencia.gov.co

ARMANDO ESTRADA VILLA
Ministro del Interior
Carrera 8 # 8-09 - Bogotá
Fax: +57-1-286.80.25

GUSTAVO BELL
Ministro de la Defensa,
Ministerio de Defensa Nacional
Avenida El Dorado con carrera 52 CAN Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel-fax: +57.1.222.1874
E-mail de la Secretaría General:  infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co

EDGARDO JOSÉ MAYA VILLAZÓN
Procuraduría General de la Nación
Carrera 5 No. 15-80 Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel-fax: +57.1.342.9723, +57.1.281.7531

LUIS CAMILO OSORIO
Fiscal General de la Nación
Diagonal 22 B No. 52-01 Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Tel fax: +57.1.570.2022

EDUARDO CIFUENTES
Defensoría del Pueblo
Calle 55 No. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá
Fax: +57.1.346.1225

LUIS ERNESTO GILIBERT
Director General Policía Nacional
Santafé de Bogotá
Fax: +57.1.428.7634 - +57.1.315.9527

FERNANDO TAPIAS STAHELIN
Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares
Avenida el Dorado con Carrera 52
Santa Fe de Bogotá
Telefax. 57-1-2222935

CAMILO GÓMEZ
Comisionado para la Paz Fax: +57.1.560.9946
Oficina en Colombia del Alto Comisionado de la ONU para
los Derechos Humanos
Fax: +57.1.313.4050
Mailto:  oacnudh@hchr.org.co

With copies to:

CUT Email:  cutcol@col3.telecom.com.co
Colombia Solidarity Campaign Email:  colombia_sc@hotmail.com