Colombian State Prosecutor Should Protect Trade Union Leaders

Arend van Wijngaarden, Vice-President of CNV Internationaal, signed a letter to the State Prosecutor of Colombia on September 21st. The letter addresses the serious threats being made by paramilitaries in the country against human rights activists. One of the activists being threatened is the President of the farmers’ union, FANAL, a union which is also part of the CGT, the Colombian national trade union and partner to CNV Internationaal.

Van Wijngaarden says, “We’re asking the State Prosecutor to provide protection for the leaders who are being threatened, one of whom is Valmiro Gonzalez Iglesias, the President of FANAL. We’re imploring the Prosecutor to investigate this matter thoroughly. Everything possible needs to be done to get to the bottom of this matter and find out who’s behind it. At the same time, trade union freedom needs to be actively defended.”

The CGT, Colombian partner union of CNV Internationaal, is also sending this letter to the Dutch Embassy in Colombia and to the European Union in order to get this matter put onto multiple social agendas.

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