USO REGIONAL PRESIDENT KIDNAPPED

On 30th November 2001 comrade AURY SARÁ MARRUGO, was kidnapped by paramilitaries in the city of Cartagena, Bolívar Departament at 8.30am. He was on the way from his home to his place of work when he was intercepted by several armed men who arrived in three vans.

Comrade AURY SARÁ MARRUGO, is President of the Cartagena Branch of the oilworkers union United Workers Union USO-CUT and he has stood out for his energetic leadership for the human and civil rights of the workers.

We make a call for URGENT action to save the life of our comrade so that he is returned safe and sound to his family and freinds as soon as possible.

We also reiterate our call to the national and international human rights organisations, NGOs and the authorities at every level, we demand that they proceed immediately to guarantee the life and liberty of our comrade.

GILBERTO PAREJA GARCIA
CUT Human Rights Departament
 

Additional Information from USO

The comrade was travelling from his house to the USO office in Cartagena with his bodyguard in a car with number plates CGS 897, when he was tackled by several armed men driving in three cars, who took him out of his vehicle and took him to an unknown destination

As a response to this criminal act the United Workers Union has decided to launch a protest that consists in cutting production by 50% until our kidnapped comrade reappears.

HERNANDO HERNANDEZ PARDO
Presidente Nacional
USO Executive Committee
 

RECOMMENDED ACTION
Andres Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la Republica de Colombia Fax (571) 2867434;
Tel: 5629300 ext. 3550-2843300
E-mail: rdh@presidencia.gov.co ;
and pastrana@presidencia.gov.co ;
and apastra@presidencia.gov.co

And to: Director General of International Labour Organization
Tel: 41-22- 799-6019; Fax: 41-22-799-6111
E-mail : somavia@ilo.org
ILO Regional Office for the Americas in Lima
Tel: 51-1-215-0300; Fax: 51-1-421 5292
E-mail: lima@ilo.org

Tony Blair
Prime Minister
House of Commons
Westminster
London SW1A 0AA

Dr Dennis MacShane
Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Latin America and Caribbean
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH

Jack Straw
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign and Commonweath Office
Whitehall
London SW1A 2AH

With Copies to:

CENTRAL UNITARIA DE TRABAJADORES DE COLOMBIA
Calle 35 No. 7-25 P.9 Bogotá, D.C. -Colombia
Tel: 00571 3237550-3237950 Email: cutcol@col3.telecom.com.co

USO E-mail: usonal@hotmail.com

COLOMBIA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ
E-mail: colombia_sc@hotmail.com
 

ADVANCE NOTICE

Conference 'Plan Colombia - Clearing the Way For the Multinationals' and the AGM of the Colombia Solidarity Campaign will be held in London 23rd/24th February 2002 with special guest from USO.
 

VIGILS 10th December 2001 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

BELFAST
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the NI group of Trade's Councils have printed a leaflet/postcard which we will be distributing Saturday 8th December in Belfast City Centre mustering at 12noon outside City Hall. For details of Derry, Strabane, Enniskillen, contact Clare Moore, Workplace Learning Development Officer, Irish Congress of Trade Unions Tel: 028 90247940

BRIGHTON
Friday 7th 2pm meeting with Sussex University Students and talk on Plan Colombia at 7.30pm. Phoenix Community Centre Saturday 8th Vigil 12-2pm Bond Street

BRISTOL
Monday 10th Vigil in centre of Bristol opposite Hippodrome 6.30-7.30pm Public meeting to follow

CARDIFF
Tuesday 4th Public Meeting 7pm Meeting Room 2, Students Union, Cardiff University Monday 10th Vigil 5:00pm - 6:00pm at the Nye Bevan memorial statue, Queen Street, Cardiff.

LONDON 6pm-8pm Monday 10th
DOWNING STREET, WHITEHALL, SW1 (near Westminster tube) No More Paramilitary Massacres! Stop State Terrorism! Stop Plan Colombia! Yes to Human Rights! Peace with Social Justice!

NORWICH
Monday 10th December activities at University of East Anglia Meeting 1-3pm in Elizabeth Frye, Room 1.34 Vigil 7pm The Square, UEA

PLYMOUTH
Contact the Campaign for details.

REMEMBER ON 10th DECEMBER TO SEND AN ELECTRONIC PROTEST
to the Colombian Ambassador to the UK.
Fax: 020 7581 1829 e-mail: colombia@colombia.demon.co.uk