SINALTRAINAL Update April 21, 2004

We regret to inform you that ROBINSON REMOLINA died a few minutes ago *.

He was the son of GABRIEL REMOLINA and FANNY ROBLES, who were massacred this morning, 20th April 2004 in their home in the ‘la cumbre’ barrio [neighbourhood] of Bucaramanga. We remind you that Robinson was the nephew of Esther Remolina, partner of Efraín Guerrero who is President of the Bucaramanga branch of SINALTRAINAL.

It is hard to say this, but the reality is that this massacred family had scarce resources and there are economic difficulties for the funeral, such that we are appealing to your good hearts for urgent solidarity. We ask for economic aid to be sent to comrade Efraín Guerrero, through the Corfuturo Bucaramanga co-operative, or you can also send support to Colpatria bank, savings account number 000202069258 in the name of SINALTRAINAL.

Please, this is urgent. Help us to distribute this message.

Javier Correa S
National President SINALTRAINAL
20th April 2004

Sinaltrainal Fax 0 571 245 5325 sinaltrainal@sinaltrainal.org,
areainternacional@sinaltrainal.org (* see SINALTRAINAL Update: April 20th April 2004 below)

SINALTRAINAL update: April 20, 2004

At 7 am on April 20, 2004, various armed men with machine guns entered the home of the brother of Coca-Cola union leader Efrain Guerrero's wife in Bucaramanga, and fired indiscriminately at the family, killing Efrain's brother-in-law, Gabriel Remolina, his wife Fanny and wounding three of their children. One of these children, Robinson Remolina, is in grave condition in the hospital.

This is not the first time that the families of Sinaltrainal union leaders have been the victims of such violence. This happened in the context of the labor conflict against Coca Cola, where we are trying to avoid the firing of workers due to closing production lines. The union is also negotiating a new convention with the company which was presented in March of this year. On April 18, we held the workers' assemblies where we approved the petitions that we would present to the Coca Cola bottlers in Bucaramanga, Cucuta and Barrancabermeja. We also just had a meeting with the Vice President of the Coca Cola bottlers where we expressed our concern for the security problems. In addition, the lawyers who filed the case against Coca-Cola in the United States, for acts of anti-union violence, just announced they had filed a new brief to reinstate Coca-Cola as a defendant.

We demand an end to the agression against Sinaltrainal affiliates and our families, and we demand that the authorities investigate and find the material and intellectual authors of these crimes.

Please send letters of protest to:

His Excellency Alvaro Uribe Velez,
President of the Republic
Carrera 8 No. 7-26
Palacio de Nariño, Bogotá.
Fax (57-1) 566 20 71.
email: auribe@presidencia.gob.co

Vice presidente Francisco Santos
Vicepresidencia
Carrera 8A No 5-57
Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia
Email: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co
Fax: 011 57 1 566 2386

Defensor del Pueblo
Defensoría del Pueblo
Calle 55, No. 10-32/46, oficina 301
Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia
Fax 011 57 1 640 0491

Ministro del Interior y Justicia
Fax 011 571 566 3234
Email: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co

Copia a Sinaltrainal
Fax 011 571 245 5325

Colombian Embassy in Washington
Ambassador Moreno
2118 Leroy Place, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Fax 202-232-8643
Email: emwas@colombiaemb.org