On 5 June 2002, in the Municipality of Rionegro, Department of
Antioquia, JHON JAIRO ALVAREZ CARDONA, member of the National Executive
Committee of the Textile Industry Workers of Colombia
(SINTRATEXTIL­CUT), was the victim of an attack at 7 in the evening when
he was with his family. He was seriously injured and taken to the
regional hospital of San Juan de Dios,where he died on 6 June 2002 at 5
in the morning.

On 4 June 2002, in the city of Medellin, Antioquia Department, teacher,
ISANAS GOMEZ JARAMILLO, was found dead. He was a member of the Antioquia
Teachers¹ Association (ADIDA ­ CUT).

On 4 June 2002, in the city of Santa Martha, Magdalena Department,
EDUARDO VASQUEZ JIMENEZ was assassinated. The murder took place at 12
midday in the market place when men travelling on a motorbike shot him
three times in the head. The comrade was the treasurer of the Magdalena
branch of the Electricity Workers Union of Colombia (SINTRAELECOL­CUT).

On 1 June 2002, in the Municipality of Tuquerres, Narino Department,
JAIRO RAMOS was assassinated by a group of men who identified themselves
as the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC). He was a member of the
Tuquerres branch of the Electricity Workers Union of Colombia
(SINTRAELECOL­CUT) and had worked for 12 years for the Central
Electrical Company of Narino (CENENAR­ESP).

On 1 June 2002, in the city of Villavicencio, Meta Department, ADALBERTO
TUKAMOTO PALOMINO was assassinated. He was an activist in the Meta
branch of the Electricity Workers Union of Colombia (SINTRAELECOL­CUT).
He was in the company of his brother, Alvaro Rafael Tukamoto, and his
friend, Claribeth Urrea Mendez, who were also killed. The comrade was
outstanding for his tireless work in defence of human rights.

The barbaric events mentioned above depict the real situation in
Colombia, where there is no respect for human rights and where the
State, with the government led by President Andres Pastrana Arango, is
ultimately responsible for a savagery which continues with 100 per cent
impunity and more than 3,800 unpunished assassinations of trade
unionists in the 15 years that our federation has existed.

This deadly situation within the trade union movement brings us to call
for solidarity from the national and international community, human
rights NGOs, trade unions and other organisations, calling on them to
condemn these crimes and call on the Colombian government to provide
real guarantees for us to continue our trade union activities.

With all due respect, we call on Dr Juan Somavia, governments, employers
and workers with representation in the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) to take careful note of the GENOCIDE being perpetrated against the
United Workers Federation of Colombia (CUT), and that if the government
led by President Pastrana does not implement the policies we need to
carry out our trade union activities, that the ILO, at its International
Labour Conference in this month of June, agrees to undertake a special
Investigative Commission to force the Colombian State and its government
to focus on the need to stop this genocide against the CUT and the
systematic, massive and serious violations of our human rights, which
have resulted to date this year in 85 assassinations, 11 assassination
attempts and 9 kidnappings, 4 of whom have been released and 7
disappeared.

Jesus Antonio Gonzalez Luna
Director, Human Rights Department

Domingo Rafael Tovar Arrieta
Director, Coordination

Bogota, 6 June 2002
CENTRAL UNITARIA DE DE COLOMBIA ­ CUT
Calle 35 No. 7-25 P.9 PBX y FAX 3237550-3237950 Bogota, DC - Colombia
E-mail:  cutcol@col3.telecom.com.co

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Send messages urging action to defend the life of Hernando Hernández
to:

ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO
Presidente de la Republica,
Presidencia de la Republica
Carrera 8 n. 7-26 Palacio de Nariño,
Santa Fe de Bogota
Telefono. +57.1.5629300 ext. 3550 (571 ) 284 33 00
Fax (571 ) 286 74 34 - 286, 68 42 -284 21 86
Mailto:  pastrana@presidencia.gov.co and  rdh@presidencia.gov.co