Mordversuch an dem kolumbianischen Gewerkschaftsführer Francisco Ramirez Cuellar

Der Präsident der Gewerkschaft SINTRAMINERCOL entkahm am 10.10.04 nur knapp einem Mordversuch.

Wir dokumentieren den englischen Prostestbrief von Menschenrechtsorganisationen und Gewerkschaften, die dieses Attentat in den Kontext der Ausrottung der Gewerkschaftsbewegung in Kolumien stellen, mit einer deutschen Zusammenfassung von Lisa Carstensen

Deutsche Zusammenfassung:

Die unten genannten gewerkschaftlichen und Menschenrechtsorganisationen klagen ein weiteres Attentat auf Francisco Ramirez Cuellar, den Präsidenten von SINTRAMINERCOL an. Solidaritätsaufruf, damit die Ausrottung der Gewerkschaftsbewegung in Kolumbien nicht weitergeht.

Fakten:

Am 10. Oktober 2004 verließ Francisco Ramirez Cuellar um 1.30 Uhr seine Wohnung auf dem Weg zu einem Mittagessen. An der Kreuzung der Calle 49 und der Carrera 15 barrio Palermo in Bogotá konnte er ein schwarz-rotes Motorrad mit zwei Personen beobachten, welches versuchte sich ihm anzunähern. Der Beifahrer blickte ihn deutlich an und hielt eine Pistole in der Hand. Francisco versteckte sich hinter einem Stromkasten und einer Telefonzelle und konnte sich so retten. Die Ampel sprang um und das Motorrad entfernte sich in Richtung Süden. Der Mordversuch an Francisco Rodriguez fällt zeitlich mit den Protesten gegen die Abwicklung der staatlichen
Minengesellschaft Minercol zusammen.

Hintergrund:

Auch Ludivia Giraldo, Verantwortliche in der Abteilung für menschenrechte der SINTRAMINERCOL und Repräsentantin der NGO „Ecate“ –Desarollo Social Integral (sozial integrierte Entwicklung) spürt, dass sie beschattet wird. Dies war am auffälligsten am 29. September 2004, als ein gelbes Taxi sie von 6 Uhr bis 20.30 Uhr durch die ganze Stadt verfolgte. Am 8. Juni 2004 sind die Arbeiter der statlichen Minengesellschaft Minercol während friedlicher Proteste vor den Werken der schweizer Firma HOLCIM von Sicherheitspersonal mit Hunden und Wasserwerfern attackiert worden. Sie wurden von der Polizei gefilmt und fotografiert. Des Weiteren detonierten am 2. Mai 2004 sind zwei Sprengstoffkörper am Hauptsitz von SINTRAMINERCOL. Am Tag zuvor waren Fahrzeige der SIPOL (kolumbianischer Nachrichtendienst) vor dem Gebäude beobachtet worden.
Da die Zusammenarbeit der paramilitärischen Gruppen mit der nationalen Polizei ist der Öffentlichkeit bekannt und die Präsenz des Nahcrichtendienstes an verschiedenen Tatorten ist auffällig.

Forderungen:

Die unterzeichnenden Organisationen fordern daher den kolumbianischen Staat auf, die Sicherheit von Francisco Ramírez Cuellar zu garantieren. Die Regierung und Vertreter der Multinationalen Unternehmen werden aufgefordert, Verhandlungen mit der Gewerkschaft aufzunehmen. An die Repräsentanten des schweizer Unternehmens HOLCIM und an die diplomatischen Vertreter stellen die Unterszeichnenden die Forderung bekannt zu geben, wozu Filme und Fotos von Francisco Ramírez Cuellar, den protestierenden Arbeitern, Gewerkschaftern und Menschenrechtlern gemacht
wurden.

URGENT ACTION: KILLERS TRY TO ASSASSINATE FRANCISCO RAMIREZTHE PRESIDENT OF SINTRAMINERCOL

From: "Colombia Solidarity Campaign" <colsolidarity@btopenworld.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 23:47:02 +0100

KILLERS TRY TO ASSASSINATE FRANCISCO RAMIREZ THE PRESIDENT OF SINTRAMINERCOL

EVENTS

1.- Francisco Ramírez Cuellar, the president of mining union Sintraminercol left his home with his girls to take lunch at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday 10th October. On arriving at the corner of 49th Street
and 5th Avenue in the Palermo district of Bogotá, he spotted a red and black high cylinder motorbike ridden by two people and coming towards him. The passenger was looking at him fixedly and had a pistol in his right hand resting on his leg. Francisco immediately got behind electricity and telephone cabinets denying the killers a target to shoot at. At that moment the traffic lights that were red changed to green and on the insistence of the vehicles behind then, the motorcyclists took off taking the road to the south.

2.-Francisco Ramírez noted that the motorcycle did not have number plates and that the two riders were not wearing the legally required reflective jackets or helmets. That day as in previous days watchers had been seen around Francisco Ramírez's home, and it is presumed that these two men had been waiting for him to come out and then followed him.

BACKGROUND:

1. For the last six months persons have seen, apparently members of state security organisations, snooping on Francisco's home, the union offices and the places that he frequents such as churches, NGOs and universities where he has presented the results of his invetsigations into mining and multinationals in Colombia.

2. The work of harassment and intelligence has extended to others such as Ludivia Giraldo, in charge of Sintraminercol's human rights department and the legal representative of the NGO "Ecate" - Association for Integral Social Development Desarrollo Social Integral - that has its office in the Sintraminercol headquarters. The most worrying incident occurred on Wednesday 29 September 2004 when four young men dressed in civilian clothes travelling in a yellow public service taxi followed her movements from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. through the districts of San Antonio Sur, Restrepo and Alquería in Bogotá. The situation obliged her to go to the human rights section of the National Police to ask for help.

3. The workers at state mining corporation Minercol, trade unionists and defenders of human rights have been attacked when they carried out peaceful protests opposite the plants of Holcim corporation. They have been filmed, photographed and attacked with streams of high pressure water, dogs and security personnel who also verbally assaulted the women protesters. The destination and use of photographs taken by the Consular Police at between 11 a.m. and 11:30
a.m on 8th June 2004 in the entrance to the Swiss Embassy is not known. Sintraminercol and the other signing organisations state our concern that these films and photographs might fall into the hands of military-paramilitary groups who are directly responsible for the repression and extermination of trade unionists and social leaders.

4. On 2nd May 2004 two explosive devices were placed and detonated at Sintraminercol's headquarters. On 1st May officers of SIPOL (National Police Intelligence Service) were in two vehicles (a white Renault and a yellow taxi) in front of the building where the union's offices are located. There is no known result of the investigation, and they have not even called Francisco Ramírez to ratify the statement of what happened on the day following the attempt, all that the union has received is a communication from the Attorney in which the closure of the ivestigation was announced.

5. It is public knowledge that through repeated denouncements by NGOs and by the population of the Ciudad Bolívar, that the paramilitary groups operate with the National Police, and it is very
suspicious that members of SIPOL had been present just before the explosions took place making a security study, which also included the address and the particulars of the place where yesterday's assassination attempt occurred.

6. This new attempt, from which Francisco Ramírez fortunately emerged unhurt, occurs in the midst of the union's fight against the liquidation of the state mining corporation Minercol. This has been
ordered by the government of Alvaro Uribe Velez to implement the demands of the multilateral banks and of Swiss, Canadian, UK and US multinational corporations whose lawyers have elaborated and advised on rewriting the Mining Code legislation to include articles liquidating Minercol and attacking human rights, the environment and the existence of peasant, mining, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

REQUESTS

The Colombian State to adopt the measures necessary to guarantee the life and security of Francisco Ramírez Cuellar, president of Sintraminercol.

The Colombian Government and representatives of the multinational companies that exploit the mineral resources of Colombia to meet together with Sintraminercol in seeking ways to stop the repression and alternatives to the liquidation of Minercol.

The legal representantive of Swiss company HOLCIM in Colombia and the diplomatic representantives to state the destination of the photographs and films taken of Francisco Ramírez Cuellar, and of the human rights defenders, Minercol workers and trade unionists who participated in the meetings and protests opposite the company's headquarters and the Swiss Embassy in Bogotá.

SIGNING ORGANISATIONS:

SINTRAMINERCOL, SINTRAMIN, FENALTRASE, FENASINTRAP, FUNTRAENERGÉTICA, CUT DIRECTIVA BOGOTA Y CUNDINAMARCA, SINTRAELECOL COSTA ATLÁNTICA, UNEB, USO, ASOCIACIÓN ECATE, NOMADESC, ACACEVA, SINTRAENTEMDICCOL, CAMPAÑA PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR

Bogotá, D.C. 13th October 2004

REQUESTED ACTION / ACCION SOLICITADA:

Please send communications to the Colombian authorities, to the multinationals and to the embassies of Switzerland, Canada and the United States with a copy to Sintraminercol

Favor enviar comunicaciones a las autoridades colombianas, multinacionales y a las embajadas de Suiza, Canadá y Estados Unidos, con copia a Sintraminercol

EMBAJADOR DE SUIZA. SR. VICTOR CHRISTEN. Carrera 9a No. 74-08 piso 11. Bogotá Colombia. Teléfono 57-1-3497230. Fax 57-1-2359803.

Rémy Friedmann-agregado para la dimensión humana remy.friedmann@bog.rep.admin.ch

HOLCIM (Colombia S.A.) Calle 114 No. 9-45 Torre B piso 12 Bogotá Colombia. Teléfono (57) (1) 6295558 Fax (57) (1) 6294629

The Chief Executive , HOLCIM, Hagenholzstrasse 85, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland.

Presidencia de la República
Dr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Cra. 8 No..7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa
fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+57 1) 566.20.71 E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co ;
[OR to better send e-mail to Uribe login to
http://www.presidencia.gov.co and click on ESCRIBALE AL PRESIDENTE at
the bottom of the page.
Para enviar correo al Sr Presidente, dirmjase a la pagina
Web:http://www.presidencia.gov.co y haga clic en ESCRIBALE AL
PRESIDENTE ubicado en la parte inferior, al final de la pagina.]

Vicepresidencia de la República
Dr Francisco Santos E-mail:fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

Ministro de Minas y Energía
Dr. LUIS ERNESTO MEJIA CASTRO, Transversal 45 No. 26-86 Bogotá.
Teléfono (57-1) 324 5262 email: minas.energia@minminas.gov.co

Ministro de Protección Social, Dr. Diego Palacio Betancourt
Carrera 13 No. 32-76 Piso 22 Bogotá D.C. Teléfono 57-1-3365066 Fax
57-1-3360182
Email: Dpalacio@minproteccionsocial.gov.co

Procuraduría General de la Nación
Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón. Carrera 5 No. 15-80 Santa Fe de
Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1)342.97.23
E-mail: reygon@procuraduria.gov.co anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co

Defensoría del Pueblo
Dr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz. Calle 55 No. 10-32 Bogotá. Fax:
(+571) 640 04 91
E-mail:secretaria_privada@hotmail.com

Misión Permanente de Colombia ante las Naciones Unidas en Ginebra.
Chemin du Champ d'Anier 17-19, 1209 Ginebra. FAX: (+4122)791.07.87;
(+4122)798.45.55
E-mail mission.colombia@ties.itu.int

Embajada de Suiza:

SINTRAMINERCOL:
Calle 32 No. 13-07, 3er piso Bogotá. Teléfono (57-1) 2456581, Fax
(57-1) 5612829 email: sintrami@telecom.com.co