Video: Not in vain - The death of Pedro Zamora
Not in vain - The death of Pedro Zamora
Not in Vain: the Death of Pedro Zamora
Guatemala: it has verdant countryside, vibrant colours and a rich culture. It also has an appalling record of human rights. After Colombia, it is the second most dangerous country in Latin America for trade unionists.
At 7.50 pm on 15 January 2007, Pedro Zamora, a dock worker from Puerto Quetzal, was returning home from the local clinic with his two small sons in his pick-up truck.
A car was waiting for him.
Its occupants shot 100 bullets at the pick-up.
Twenty or so hit Zamora.
He pushed the children to the floor to try to protect them.
Badly wounded, he crashed the car.
One of his assailants walked over and fired a final shot to his head from close range.
Both children witnessed their father’s violent death.
His family remain devastated
Pedro Zamora was the General Secretary of STEPQ – a union which has been fighting port privatisation. His death was directly linked to this struggle.
For a year prior to his murder Pedro had received frequent death threats. Armed men had waited menacingly outside his house. In July 2006, unknown assailants shot at one of his fellow trade unionists. Since Pedro’s assassination, other STEPQ board members have received death threats.
The ITF has been at the forefront of campaigning to secure justice for Pedro Zamora and STEPQ.
On 27 January an international delegation of trade unionists flew to Guatemala. They met with the union, with Pedro’s family, with local police, members of the justice system, with politicians and Guatemala’s own human rights commissioner. The trade unionists also met with the UN and with the US and Spanish Embassies.
The delegation called for protection of the remaining union leaders, for a transparent investigation, and for prosecution of those responsible for Pedro’s death.
The group reported grave concerns about the investigation and questioned the fact that the only line being pursued was that of a family quarrel.
Its members also called for the reinstatement of nine workers dismissed in October, whose jobs Pedro has been fighting for when he died.
This visit had results in two key areas:-
Firstly, on 7 February, a group of Guatemalan parliamentarians met the port company, and demanded the rapid reinstatement of the nine dismissed workers. On 12 February, a month after his death, Pedro Zamora’s campaign won a first battle. The workers were reinstated.
Secondly, a prospective investor in port expansion, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, has said that it will not fund port restructuring if human and labour rights violations continue.
These are important steps that boost the union and strengthen the campaign. They show that international solidarity can change events.
STEPQ’s is a key case for all Guatemala’s trade unionists and human rights activists
In a country where the UN has concluded that 'genuine trade union freedom does not exist' due to anti-union violence, - and where human rights are routinely ignored - it is vital that internationally, workers’ organisations and their supporters use their voices against this repression.
These courageous trade unionists are prepared to risk their lives to speak out for justice and for the future of all Guatemalans.
The ITF is campaigning for a proper investigation, for prosecution of those responsible, for protection for the union leaders and for justice for STEPQ in their struggle for trade union rights. In doing so, we aim to contribute to ending impunity in Guatemala. Join us.
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