Mexico: suspicious deaths of union activists
cereal f'real | 21.05.2002 12:47
Friends and contacts,
On behalf of CEREAL, the Center for Labor Action and Reflection, I am writing to inform you that four Mexican Pemex workers involved in the resistance movement within their union were killed in a car crash this past week. We request your support and solidarity through this difficult time and ask that you help us apply pressure to the Mexican authorities to push for a complete and just investigation of the deaths of these activists. Please read the following Urgent Report. Thank you for you time.
In solidarity,
Emily Andrews
CEREAL E-mail:
cereal@data.net.mx
Urgent Action
Sunday, April 28 2002, Armando Ruiz Villalón, Genaro Navaro and two other members of the National Democratic Alliance of Oil Workers(ANDTP) died in a car accident when returning from a meeting in San Luis de la Cruz, Tampico municipality, Tamaulipas. On Tuesday, April 30 they had scheduled an appointment with the Secretary of Government in order to present the actions of repression within the union and the ANDTP demands in response to the violations of their Human Right to Union Liberty.
Since October 2000 the workers had initiated, in conjunction with the Alliance, various actions to defend their Human Right to Union Liberty.
Fighting against the official selection of union representation of the local executive committee and the fraudulent election in October, 2000 through an administrative appeal before the Secretary of Employment and the Federation of Judicial Power.
Nullified the electoral process of October 2000, by making demands before the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration, and the Federation of Judicial Power.
Issued a formal complaint before the National Commission of Human Rights against the Secretary of Work for administrative violations in the resolution of the appeal against the official selection of union representation.
Reported before the Federal Justice Council on the possible illegal pressure on the Magistrate.
Reported Carlos Romero Deschamps for Union Crimes before the General Council of Vigilance.
Demanded reclamation from Mexican Oil Companies and STPRM for bonus pay for the last five years
Further more, together with the co-workers of their section, these men organizers in the National Democratic coalition of Oil Workers, initiated criminal denouncement of their section leader and Carlos Romero Deschamps for Fraud and Embezzlement of funds. At the root of this situation, before the growing activity of ANDTP and other Oil Worker groups, the Union, in compliance with the company, has initiated a campaign of selective repression through firings and early retirements in an attempt to maintain control of the union workers.
March 2, 2002, the same day that Carlos Romero Deschamps received the “Fidel Velasquez” award from the CTM, (attended by Government Secretary Santiago Creel), a series of posters appeared in sections of the STPRM condemning groups that oppose the current union leadership and work for democratization within the unions.
Five days later, on March 7, 2002, in one day, five leaders of opposition groups were fired unjustly. The majority of these workers belonged to the ANDTP: Armando Ruiz Villalón and Genaro Navarro of section 24 (Salamanca, Gaunajuato), David Ramirez y Raymundo de la Rosa of section 38 (Salina Cruz, Oaxaca), as well as Octavio Rivas of section 34 (Central Office, DF), being the first three workers to participate in the ANDTP. Also included in these unjust actions was the forced retirement of at least seven workers and the formal investigation of seven other employees.
This campaign of firings has continued to the present date. The following cases of unjust firings have been documented.
Pedro Miranda Flores, section 35 (Tula, Hidalgo), member of the ANDTP, was fired after 23 years of employment
Jose Armando Bremont Perez, section 11 (Nanchital, Veracruz), member of the ANDTP, recently widowed and left with five dependent household members, was fired after 23 years of employment.
Dolores Flores, section 34 (Mexico City Central Office) was fired after 14 years of employment.
The workers began a defense campaign against the repression and to obtain an appointment with Ricardo Sepúluede, head of the Unity of States Legislators and Government Coordinator of the Board of Human Rights in the Secretary of Government, planned for Tuesday, April 30th at 5:30 PM, only two days after this terrible tragedy.
The investigation by the Public Minister in Salamanca, Gto has begun, and the dissident groups of Oil Workers insist in protection measures for their activists, as well as national insistence from groups like the Interamerican commission of Human Rights.
We ask that you please send faxes demanding the clarification of this accident in order to reject the possible responsibility of exterior agents, to guarantee the protection of oil worker activists of the national democratic alliance of oil workers and the official acknowledgement of these activists as defendors of human rights please send faxes to
Lic. Vicente Fox Quesada. Constitutional President of the United States of México 55 15 17 94
Lic. Carlos Abascal Carranza. Secretary of Employment and Social Provisio 56 45 23 45
Ing. Raul Muñoz Leos. General Director of Mexican Petroleum 57 22 25 00 ex. 29211
Federal Deputy Carlos Romero Deschamps. General Secretary of the Oil Workers Union of the Mexican Republic 55 35 68 03
Lic. Alvaro Salazar. Chief of Human Resources of the Refinery “Ing. Antoinio M. Amor” Salina Cruz, Oaxaca 01 97 17 14 90 00 ex. 50614
Lic. Armando Marin Marin. General director of Pemex Refinery 01 97 17 14 90 00 ex. 51017
Ing. José Rentería Soto General Director of the Refinery “Ing Antonio Dovalí” Salamanca Guanajuato 01 46 46 47 27 37 ex. 32002
Lic. Eduardo Jaso. Head of Human Resources of the Refinery “Ing. Antonio Dovalí” Salamanca Guanajuato 01 46 46 47 27 37 ex. 32048
Send copies of your actions to the Center of Labor Action and Reflection 55 27 84 10
On behalf of CEREAL, the Center for Labor Action and Reflection, I am writing to inform you that four Mexican Pemex workers involved in the resistance movement within their union were killed in a car crash this past week. We request your support and solidarity through this difficult time and ask that you help us apply pressure to the Mexican authorities to push for a complete and just investigation of the deaths of these activists. Please read the following Urgent Report. Thank you for you time.
In solidarity,
Emily Andrews
CEREAL E-mail:
cereal@data.net.mx Urgent Action
Sunday, April 28 2002, Armando Ruiz Villalón, Genaro Navaro and two other members of the National Democratic Alliance of Oil Workers(ANDTP) died in a car accident when returning from a meeting in San Luis de la Cruz, Tampico municipality, Tamaulipas. On Tuesday, April 30 they had scheduled an appointment with the Secretary of Government in order to present the actions of repression within the union and the ANDTP demands in response to the violations of their Human Right to Union Liberty.
Since October 2000 the workers had initiated, in conjunction with the Alliance, various actions to defend their Human Right to Union Liberty.
Fighting against the official selection of union representation of the local executive committee and the fraudulent election in October, 2000 through an administrative appeal before the Secretary of Employment and the Federation of Judicial Power.
Nullified the electoral process of October 2000, by making demands before the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration, and the Federation of Judicial Power.
Issued a formal complaint before the National Commission of Human Rights against the Secretary of Work for administrative violations in the resolution of the appeal against the official selection of union representation.
Reported before the Federal Justice Council on the possible illegal pressure on the Magistrate.
Reported Carlos Romero Deschamps for Union Crimes before the General Council of Vigilance.
Demanded reclamation from Mexican Oil Companies and STPRM for bonus pay for the last five years
Further more, together with the co-workers of their section, these men organizers in the National Democratic coalition of Oil Workers, initiated criminal denouncement of their section leader and Carlos Romero Deschamps for Fraud and Embezzlement of funds. At the root of this situation, before the growing activity of ANDTP and other Oil Worker groups, the Union, in compliance with the company, has initiated a campaign of selective repression through firings and early retirements in an attempt to maintain control of the union workers.
March 2, 2002, the same day that Carlos Romero Deschamps received the “Fidel Velasquez” award from the CTM, (attended by Government Secretary Santiago Creel), a series of posters appeared in sections of the STPRM condemning groups that oppose the current union leadership and work for democratization within the unions.
Five days later, on March 7, 2002, in one day, five leaders of opposition groups were fired unjustly. The majority of these workers belonged to the ANDTP: Armando Ruiz Villalón and Genaro Navarro of section 24 (Salamanca, Gaunajuato), David Ramirez y Raymundo de la Rosa of section 38 (Salina Cruz, Oaxaca), as well as Octavio Rivas of section 34 (Central Office, DF), being the first three workers to participate in the ANDTP. Also included in these unjust actions was the forced retirement of at least seven workers and the formal investigation of seven other employees.
This campaign of firings has continued to the present date. The following cases of unjust firings have been documented.
Pedro Miranda Flores, section 35 (Tula, Hidalgo), member of the ANDTP, was fired after 23 years of employment
Jose Armando Bremont Perez, section 11 (Nanchital, Veracruz), member of the ANDTP, recently widowed and left with five dependent household members, was fired after 23 years of employment.
Dolores Flores, section 34 (Mexico City Central Office) was fired after 14 years of employment.
The workers began a defense campaign against the repression and to obtain an appointment with Ricardo Sepúluede, head of the Unity of States Legislators and Government Coordinator of the Board of Human Rights in the Secretary of Government, planned for Tuesday, April 30th at 5:30 PM, only two days after this terrible tragedy.
The investigation by the Public Minister in Salamanca, Gto has begun, and the dissident groups of Oil Workers insist in protection measures for their activists, as well as national insistence from groups like the Interamerican commission of Human Rights.
We ask that you please send faxes demanding the clarification of this accident in order to reject the possible responsibility of exterior agents, to guarantee the protection of oil worker activists of the national democratic alliance of oil workers and the official acknowledgement of these activists as defendors of human rights please send faxes to
Lic. Vicente Fox Quesada. Constitutional President of the United States of México 55 15 17 94
Lic. Carlos Abascal Carranza. Secretary of Employment and Social Provisio 56 45 23 45
Ing. Raul Muñoz Leos. General Director of Mexican Petroleum 57 22 25 00 ex. 29211
Federal Deputy Carlos Romero Deschamps. General Secretary of the Oil Workers Union of the Mexican Republic 55 35 68 03
Lic. Alvaro Salazar. Chief of Human Resources of the Refinery “Ing. Antoinio M. Amor” Salina Cruz, Oaxaca 01 97 17 14 90 00 ex. 50614
Lic. Armando Marin Marin. General director of Pemex Refinery 01 97 17 14 90 00 ex. 51017
Ing. José Rentería Soto General Director of the Refinery “Ing Antonio Dovalí” Salamanca Guanajuato 01 46 46 47 27 37 ex. 32002
Lic. Eduardo Jaso. Head of Human Resources of the Refinery “Ing. Antonio Dovalí” Salamanca Guanajuato 01 46 46 47 27 37 ex. 32048
Send copies of your actions to the Center of Labor Action and Reflection 55 27 84 10
cereal f'real