The man from Del Monte, he says 'die'
Lee | 04.10.2007 11:11 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements
People are still dying in the 'Banana Republics' for the fruit served in Tescos, Sainsbury's and so on...
The man killed was Marco Tulio Ramírez Portela. He was in charge of sports and culture for the banana workers union in Guatemala. This is the union that organizes Del Monte workers. The bananas you eat may have been picked by members of his union.
Marco Tulio's murder on 23 September was part of a pattern of rising anti-union violence in Guatemala.
This is not a one off. In 2006 alone, 144 trade union activists were murdered, a big increase over the previous year.
If we don't make a special effort, we may become apathetic. And we may begin to tacitly accept -- by our silence -- what we know we must not accept.
In Blowin' in the Wind, Dylan rhetorically asked 'How many deaths will it take till we know that too many people have died?'
The answer for all us should be this: Just one.
Marco Tulio's murderers are benefiting from a culture of impunity in Guatemala. Those behind the murder are convinced that few will have heard his name and fewer still will have raised their voices in protest.
Unions across Latin America have raised the cry -- "¡Basta de impunidad en Guatemala!" We must all take up this slogan!.
Please, take a few seconds and go to - this link - send the strongest possible message to the authorities in Guatemala that trade union activists are not legitimate targets for assassins and death squads.
----
Re-edited by Lee, from an original article by Eric Lee,
http://www.labourstart.org/
Marco Tulio's murder on 23 September was part of a pattern of rising anti-union violence in Guatemala.
This is not a one off. In 2006 alone, 144 trade union activists were murdered, a big increase over the previous year.
If we don't make a special effort, we may become apathetic. And we may begin to tacitly accept -- by our silence -- what we know we must not accept.
In Blowin' in the Wind, Dylan rhetorically asked 'How many deaths will it take till we know that too many people have died?'
The answer for all us should be this: Just one.
Marco Tulio's murderers are benefiting from a culture of impunity in Guatemala. Those behind the murder are convinced that few will have heard his name and fewer still will have raised their voices in protest.
Unions across Latin America have raised the cry -- "¡Basta de impunidad en Guatemala!" We must all take up this slogan!.
Please, take a few seconds and go to - this link - send the strongest possible message to the authorities in Guatemala that trade union activists are not legitimate targets for assassins and death squads.
----
Re-edited by Lee, from an original article by Eric Lee,
http://www.labourstart.org/
Lee