TUC condemns the assassination attempt on Jose Angel Mena Renteria, Colombian trade union leader
TUC condemns the assassination attempt on Jose Angel Mena Renteria, Colombian trade union leader
Issue date
19 Jun 2020
TUC writes to the Ambassador of Colombia regarding the recent assassination attempt on trade union leader
TUC General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, wrote to the Ambassador of Colombia in London to strongly condemn the recent assassination attempt on Colombian trade union leader, Jose Angel Mena Renteria, and called for the Peace Agreement, signed in Colombia in November 2016, to be fully implemented comprehensively.
THE Mr Antonio Jose Ardila
Colombia Ambassador
Embassy of Colombia
3 Hans Crescent
SW1X 0LN
18 June 2020
Dear Ambassador
TUC condemns the assassination attempt on Jose Angel Mena Renteria,
Colombian trade union leader
I am writing on behalf of the TUC, which represents more than 5.5 million working
people in Britain, to strongly condemn the assassination attempt on Jose Angel Mena
Renteria, trade union regional leader of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) in
Choco state. The attack took place two days ago in the early hours of Tuesday 16 June
when, at 3:00 a.m. armed men broke into Jose's house.
Colombia continues to see widespread human rights violations, including the murders
of social activists, trade unionists and former FARC combatants. The country continually
features in the ITUC's annual Global Right's Index, as one of the top 10 worse places in
the world for working people. In the latest report released today, it exposes Colombia
as one of the most dangerous places in the world for trade unionists. The first five
months of 2020 has been the most violent period since the peace agreement was
signed, with the Colombian organisation INDEPAZ registering 114 murders of social
activists between 1 January and 29 May. On 28 May, the Chief Prosecutor of the
International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouma, said that the ICC was monitoring killings
of social activists and human rights defenders in Colombia. Over 200 former FARC
combatants have also been murdered since the signing of the peace agreement.
The signing of the Peace Agreement in Colombia in November 2016, bringing an end
to 53 years of internal armed conflict, was received with much hope by the international
community and, especially, the international trade union movement.
In view of the grave human rights violations and the serious risks posed by the lack of
comprehensive implementation of the Peace Agreement, we urge you to convey these
urgent requests to your government:
More:
https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-condemns-assassination-attempt-jose-angel-mena-renteria-colombian-trade-union-leader
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-06/web%20version%20Colombia%20ltter%2018.06.20_1.pdf
