Colombia: Campaign launched to free imprisoned union activist
Campaign launched to free imprisoned union activist
posted by Peter Bolton
Oct 16, 2013
A British human rights group, Justice for Colombia, has begun a campaign to have one of the country’s most high-profile trade unionists released from prison.
Hubert Ballesteros was arrested and detained on August 25 on charges of “rebellion” and “financing terrorism”; vague allegations that are frequently used by the Colombian government and state apparatus to apprehend people that have been involved in social movements and union activism. He is currently being held at La Picota prison in Bogota.
MORE: Rural Strike Organizer Arrested on Terrorism Charges
Justice for Colombia is claiming the charges are a ruse in order to intimidate and marginalize organized labor in Colombia. The London-based NGO is led by the General Secretary of the British Trades Union Congress (TUC), Brendan Barber, and was established in 2002 by the British trade union movement.
Trip to United Kingdon
Ballasteros was set speak at the TUC’s annual congress in England last month about the Colombian peace process and the role for civil society in achieving a viable settlement but was unable to attend due to being detained. Ballasteros was in fact arrested on the day he was scheduled to visit the British embassy in Bogota to collect his visa for entry into the United Kingdom. During his visit to Britain he was in line to have meetings with members of the British parliament as well as with leaders from the country’s labor movement.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/campaign-launched-free-imprisoned-union-activist/
