Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 17:46:36 -0800
Subject: Dirty War against Colombian Oil Workers (Eng & Esp)


>Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 18:42:04 -0500
>To: Labor-Rap-AT-csf.colorado.edu, LABOR-L-AT-YORKU.CA, fnb-l-AT-tao.ca,
>        LABNEWS-AT-cmsa.Berkeley.EDU, ats-AT-etext.org
>From: aaron-AT-burn.ucsd.edu (Aaron)
>Subject: Dirty War against Colombian Oil Workers (Eng & Esp)
>Cc: <ann.col-AT-swipnet.se>, Carlos Moreno <caos-AT-anditel.andinet.lat.net>
>
>Friends, comrades, compan~er-AT-s,
>   Below is an English translation, followed by the Spanish original, of an
>important press release and communique from the Colombian oil workers'
>trade union. While at least half the work of translation was done by
>compan~ero David in Bogota (e-mail: Carlos Moreno
><caos-AT-anditel.andinet.lat.net>), I take full responsibility for any faults
>in this latest version. (Reports concerning such faults would be
>appreciated.)
>   Please be aware that there are errors in the Spanish text, which
>apparently is as the folks at ann.col received it.
>   There are many important documents in Spanish -- from Colombia, Peru and
>elsewhere -- that await translation. If you can help, please contact me as
>well as ats-AT-etext.org (Arm The Spirit).
>
>-- For international solidarity,
>-- Aaron <aaron-AT-burn.ucsd.edu>
>
>--------------
>
>1997-03-14
>
>AGENCIA DE NOTICIAS NUEVA COLOMBIA, ANNCOL
>(New Colombia News Agency) E-mail: ann.col-AT-swipnet.se
>
>For the editor of the foreign pages:
>Press Release for free distribution, provided the source is mentioned:
>
>The Colombian oil workers' union victim of state persecution:
>
>"WE FIND OURSELVES FACING A REGIME WITH ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM"
>
>(Stockholm/ANNCOL) In a statement to the national and international press,
>the treasurer of the Workers' Trade Union, USO (Union Sindical Obrera),
>Cesar Carrillo, calls the attention of the whole community to the outrages
>of which the trade unionists are victims.
>
>In the last 7 years, the union has had to bury more than 70 members,
>murdered by hired assassins who appear "by chance" when the union is in
>intense bargaining over its demands or in a struggle to block
>privatizations of the state enterprise, Ecopetrol.
>
>On 5 December, 14 leaders and workers of the USO were detained. Cesar
>Carrillo was detained by forces of the Public Prosecutor when he left the
>company headquarters after having ended a round of talks with the
>management of Ecopetrol. They have now been in prison for more than three
>months, accused of "rebellion" and "terrorism".
>
>Pedro Chaporro, one of the national leaders of the USO who has been
>detained, was sentenced on 11 February of this year to seven years in
>prison on the same charges. The sentence was handed down the same day that
>850,000 Colombian public sector workers launched a general strike that
>lasted 174 hours. The result was a success for the trade union movement. At
>this moment, there are 14 workers and leaders of the USO in prison.
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>National and International Communique
>
>LET'S STOP THE MASSACRE AND GENOCIDE AGAINST TRADE UNIONISM!
>
>5 March 1997: 14 Oil Workers have been detained for three months
>
>As time passes, the accusations continue by the government and public
>prosecutor against the Workers' Trade Union, USO (Union Sindical Obrera).
>It is three months that they have detained 14 oil workers; three months of
>vile accusations and public ridicule. Faceless justice has positioned us as
>individuals undesirable to society, of having caused great damage to the
>economy of the country, and logically deserving of long sentences, to
>supposedly serve as an example to the new generations of workers.
>
>But as if this weren't enough, the government has placed us in a
>conceptualization that is very dangerous, not so much for those detained,
>but for the entire union.
>
>We are accused of being a narcoterrorist band, delegitimizing the legal and
>trade-union character of the USO, placing us in the sights of the military
>and the treatment that is given, according to the state, to the
>narcoterrorist organizations.
>
>They disregard 74 years of union history, of unflagging trade-union and
>political struggle, of contributing to the creation and consolidation of
>Ecopetrol, of leading stikes that shaped the history of the trade-union
>movement. All this in the light of day, hiding nothing, snatching nothing
>from anybody, without betraying our country, feeling ourselves Colombian.
>
>Meanwhile, succeeding governments raffles off and give away our wealth,
>receiving the scraps that are left, become fervent defenders of the
>interests of and agreements with the multinationals, and condemn
>permanently the nationalist ideas and positions of the USO and other
>trade-unions, social organisations and many political and democratic
>personalities. They have been making war on the USO for many years. There
>are killings, forced exile, jailings, and threats, and the investigations
>about these facts have no results. On the contrary, it is the workers
>themselves who are condemned and judged. That is, State-sponsored impunity
>is the dominant note.
>
>We find ourselves facing a regime with all the characteristics of Fascism,
>which persecutes and humbles the workers, but kneels down, humiliates and
>postrates itself before the North American leaders, as in the
>decertificacion issue.
>
>They proclaim they will guarantee us a fair trial, as if it was a gift,
>when this is guaranteed by the Colombian Constitution.
>
>The national and international trade-union movement, the Human Rights
>organisations in Colombia and in the world must know that we: Marcelo
>Buitrago, Felipe Mendoza, Guillermo Cardenas, Monerge Sanchez, Rafael
>Estupinan, Hernan Vallejo, Leonardo Diaz, Reinel Sanchez, Edgar Riano,
>Francisco Cadena, Leonardo Mosquea, Alvaro Solano, Jorge Estupinan, Fabio
>Lievano and Cesar Carrillo are innocent and feel ourselves victims of
>trade-union and political persecution by the regime. It should also be
>known that Pedro Chaparro, USO leader, has been condemned to 7 years in
>prison, and that the defense arguments only served as historical record.
>The world must be told that a genocide is being committed in Colombia
>against a trade union for the act of maintaining a nationalist policy.
>
>We demand of the top management of Ecopetrol and of the government itself
>that they take off the mask and say if the USO is a narcoterrorist
>organization, an enemy of the country and of the Colombian people, or on
>the contrary a legally constituted trade-union organization dedicated to
>the defense of the workers and the country.
>
>Sincerely,
>CESAR CARRILLO
>TREASURER AND NATIONAL LEADER
>UNIO'N SINDICAL OBRERA (Workers' Trade Union)
>
>--------------
>
>>Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 17:42:32 -0500
>From: "ann.col" <ann.col-AT-swipnet.se>
>Subject: Guerra Sucia a petroleros colombianos
>
>1997-03-14
>
>AGENCIA DE NOTICIAS NUEVA COLOMBIA, ANNCOL
>Nyhetsbyr=E5n Nya Colombia. E-mail: ann.col-AT-swipnet.se
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Para
>El redactor de las p=E1ginas exteriores:
>Comunicado de Prensa para libre disposici=F3n, siempre y cuando se
>menciona la fuente:
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>El sindicato petrolero colombiano v=EDctima por la persecuci=F3n
>estatal:
>
>"NOS ENCONTRAMOS PUES ANTE UN R=C9GIMEN
>CON TODAS LAS CARACTER=CDSTICAS DEL FASCISMO"
>
>(ESTOCHOLMO/ANNCOL) En un comunicado a la prensa nacional e
>internacional, el tesorero del sindicato Uni=F3n Sindical Obrera,
>USO, CESAR CARILLO, hace un llamado a toda la comunidad para
>llamar la atenci=F3n de los atropellos por los cuales son v=EDctimas
>los sindicalistas.
>
>En los =FAltimos siete a=F1os, el sindicato ha tenido que entrerrar
>m=E1s de 70 afiliados, asesinados por sicarios, que "causalmente",
>aparecen cuando el sindicato esta en intensas conversaciones
>acerca el pliego de peticiones o en una lucha para impedir la
>privatisaciones de la empresa estatal, Ecopetrol.
>
>El 5 de diciembre fueron detenidos 14 dirigentes y trabajadores de
>la USO. Cesar Carillo fue detenido por fuerzas de la Fiscalia
>cuando sal=EDa del edificio de la empresa después de haber terminado
>una ronda de conversaciones con la directiva de Ecopetrol.
>Ya llevan m=E1s de tres meses encarcelados, acusados por "rebeli=F3n"
>y "terrorismo".
>
>Pedro Chaporro, uno de los dirigentes nacionales de la USO que han
>sido detenidos, fué condenado a siete a=F1os de prisi=F3n el 11 de
>Febrero a=F1o en curso por las mismas acusaciones. La sentecia fue
>ejecutada el mismo d=EDa que 850.000 trabajadores colombianos del
>sector estatal se lanzaron a una huelga general que dur=F3 174
>horas. El resultado fué un éxito por el movimiento sindical.
>En este momento esta 14 trabajadores y dirigentes encarcelados de
>la USO.
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>Comunicado nacional e internacional
>
>PAREMOS LA MASACRE Y EL GENOCIDIO
>CONTRA EL SINDICALISMO!
>
>Marzo 5 de 1997, tres meses, detenidos 14 trabajadores petroleros
>
>A medida que transcurre el tiempo contin=FAan las acusaciones del
>gobierno y la Fiscal=EDa en contra la Uni=F3n Sindical Obrera, USO.
>Son tres meses que se cumplen de haber detenido a 14 trabajadores
>petroleros; tres meses de infames acusaciones y de escarnio
>p=FAblico. La Justicia sin rostro nos ha colocado como unos
>individuos indeseables a la sociedad, de haberle causado grandes
>da=F1os a la econom=EDa del pa=EDs y l=F3gicamente merecedores de grandes
>condenas, para que supuestamente sirvan de ejemplo a las nuevas
>generaciones de trabajadores.
>
>Pero como si fuera poco igualmente el gobierno nos coloca en un
>concepto muy peligroso, no tanto para los detenidos sino para todo
>el sindicato.
>
>Se nos acusa de ser una banda narcoterrorista desligitimando el
>car=E1cter legal y sindical de la USO; coloc=E1ndonos en la mira
>militar y el tratamiento que se le da seg=FAn el estado a las
>organisaciones narcoterroristas.
>
>Se desconocen 74 a=F1os de vida del sindicato, de incansable lucha
>sindical y pol=EDtica, de aportar a la creaci=F3n y consolidaci=F3n de
>Ecopetrol, de haber protagonizado huelgas que marcaron la historia
>del movimiento sindical. Todo esto a la l=FAz del d=EDa, sin esconder
>nada, sin arrebatarle nada nadie, sin traicionar la patria u
>sintiéndonos colombianos.
>
>Mientras tanto los gobiernos de turno regalan y rifan nuestras
>riquezas, reciben migajas por lo que queda, se convierten en
>fervientes defensores de los intereses y de los pactos con las
>multinacionales y condenan permanentemente las ideas y posiciones
>nacionalistas de la USO, de otros sindicatos, de organisaciones
>sociales y de muchas personalidades pol=EDticas y democr=E1ticas.
>A la Uni=F3n Sindical Obrera se le viene dando un tratamiento de
>guerra desde hace muchos a=F1os, se asesina, se destierra, se
>encarcela, se amenaza y las investigaciones por estos hechos no
>arrojan ning=FAn resultado; antes por el contrario los condenados y
>juzgados somos los trabajadores; es decir la impunidad que
>patrocina el Estado es la nota predominante.
>
>Nos encontramos pues ante un régimen con todas las caracter=EDsticas
>del fascismo, que persigue y somete a los trabajdores, pero que se
>arrodilla, se humilla y se postra a los mandos norteamericanos
>como en el caso de la descertificaci=F3n.
>
>Se nos anuncia que se garantiza el debido proceso como si esto
>fuera una d=E1diva o regalo; cuando esta consagrado en la
>constituci=F3n colombiana.
>
>El movimiento sindical nacional e internacional, las
>organisaciones de derechos humanos de Colombia y el mundo deben
>saber que; Marcelo Bu=EDtrago, Felipe Mendoza, Guillermo C=E1rdenas,
>Monerge S=E1nchez,Rafael Estupi=F1an, Hern=E1n Vallejo, Leonardo D=EDaz,
>Reinel S=E1nchez, Edgar Ria=F1o, Francisco Cadena, Leonardo Mosquera,
>Alvaro Solano, Jorge Estupi=F1an, Fabio Lievano y Cesar Carillo
>somos inocentes y que sentimos persegu=EDdos sindicales y pol=EDticos
>del régimen, pero también debe saberse que Pedro Chaporro,
>dirigente de la USO ha sido condenado (por 7 a=F1os), y que los
>argumentos de la defensa solo sirvieron como constancia hist=F3rica.
>Esta en juego la existencia del sindicato; al mundo hay que
>decirle que en Colombia se esta cometiendo un genocidio contra una
>organisaci=F3n sindical por el hecho de preservar una pol=EDtica
>nacionalista.
>
>A la alta administraci=F3n de Ecopetrol y del propio gobierno, les
>pedimos que se qu=EDten la careta y digan si la USO es una
>organisaci=F3n narcoterrorista, enemiga del pa=EDs y del pueblo
>colombiano, o por el cotrario es una organisaci=F3n sindical
>legalmente constitu=EDda dedicada a la defensa de los trabajadores y
>del pa=EDs.
>
>Atentamente
>
>CESAR CARILLO
>TESORERO Y DIRIGENTE NACIONAL
>UNI=D3N SINDICAL OBRERA
>--------------
>
>
>
>
This information provided for non-profit research purposes only.
Michael Novick <mnovickttt-AT-igc.org>
People Against Racist Terror (PART) POB 1055 Culver City CA 90232
310-288-5003. Check out our quarterly, "Turning the Tide: Journal of
Anti-Racist Activism, Research and Education"


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