Such an outrageous story, in addition to being slanderous and clearly rejected by Colombian courts, brings considerable danger to the groups that were mentioned, as well as to the Colombian trade union movement as a whole.  Alleging connections between Colombian workers and the guerrilla movement is a common strategy of the Uribe administration.  It discredits unions and makes them a clear target for both paramilitary groups and Colombia’s own armed forces. 

In response to the article, several US human and labor rights organizations wrote a letter to the editor of El Espectador.  The organizations, including the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Center for International Policy, Witness for Peace, ILRF and USLEAP, attempted not only to set the record straight on the organizations mentioned and indicate that Apuleyo’s version of the Arauca killings was false, but also to raise the danger of printing such material in a widely-read Colombian paper. 

As the letter states, the Uribe administration should distance itself from any friend or ally that puts unions and human rights defenders in danger by falsely accusing them of being undercover guerrillas or guerrilla supporters.  In addition, President Uribe and Vice-President Santos should cease their own unfounded accusations against unions and human rights advocates, as this is only destroying the fragile public image of democracy they are attempting to create.

For more information on the continued impunity for violence against trade unionists in Colombia, see USLEAP’s most recent impunity fact sheet , or click here to learn more about violence against Colombian workers.