NEW INITIATIVE ON CRIMES AGAINST TRADE UNIONISTS

UNCLAS BOGOTA 006486 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. PLEASE PASS DEPT. OF LABOR, USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PHUM PGOV CO SUBJECT: NEW INITIATIVE ON CRIMES AGAINST TRADE UNIONISTS WELCOMED BY LABOR LEADERS -------------- -- GOC TO SPEED UP JUDICIAL PROCESS IN LABOR CASES -------------- -- ¶1. (U) On July 5, Prosecutor General Mario Iguaran announced an initiative to speed up the judicial process in cases of crimes against trade unionists. The GOC has earmarked approximately 1.5 million USD to the project, which will target the 1,176 cases of trade unionist violence denounced before the International Labor Organization, collectively identified as "ILO Case 1787." Under the initiative, the Prosecutor General's Office will hire 25 legal aides to assist state attorneys, form special inter-agency investigative groups, transfer cases involving paramilitary suspects to the Prosecutor General's Justice and Peace unit, and implement protection measures to witnesses and victims' family members to encourage their cooperation in cases. The Prosecutor General's Office will also provide monthly progress reports to the ILO. -------------- TRADE CONFEDERATIONS PLEDGE COOPERATION -------------- ¶2. (U) In a July 4 meeting with Iguaran and Minister of Social Protection Diego Palacio, the heads of the three principal trade confederations pledged to cooperate with the criminal investigations and provide the Prosecutor General with their priority cases. The GOC has often cited lack of cooperation from the confederations as one of the obstacles to efficient investigations into crimes against trade unionists. Labor leaders are optimistic about the new project. Julio Roberto Gomez, Secretary General of the General Work Confederation (CGT),Colombia's second largest trade confederation, told Laboff the initiative was "a very good solution to solve the impunity problem." ¶3. (U) The GOC expects to initiate the project in mid-August. DRUCKER