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"Serious concerns" over investigation into murdered Guatemalan trade unionist
8 February 2007
A high-level trade union delegation to Guatemala has expressed serious concerns about the investigation into the murder of dockers’ union leader Pedro Zamora. Zamora, General Secretary of the ITF-affiliated dockers’ union, Sindicato de Trabajadores Empresa Portuaria – Quetzal (STEPQ), was killed in a hail of bullets while driving in his car with his son in the Guatemalan port of Quetzal on 15 January.
The visit, which took place last week, aimed to gather information on the circumstances of Zamora’s murder and details about the investigation into his death. It also looked into the safety of other STEPQ members, whose lives had been threatened, and help stamp out the victimisation of union members in Quetzal. In addition it sought to press for the reinstatement of nine workers, dismissed for participating in trade union activities.
During the trip, delegates met with Zamora’s family as well as with the authorities in charge of the investigation. In a follow-up report, the group expressed serious concerns regarding the investigation. These included the inability of the police to secure the crime scene and the failure of the police to take witness statements. The delegation also questioned the fact that only one line of investigation was being pursued – that of a domestic family quarrel, despite evidence of threats to Zamora’s life in the context of his work with the union.
ITF Assistant General Secretary Stuart Howard, who was among the delegation, commented: “One of the key recommendations to come out of the visit is that the global union campaign for justice for Zamora should be expanded to support STEPQ and its leaders whose lives remain under threat. Its demands should also include the reinstatement of the nine union members dismissed as a result of victimisation.”
The ITF and the ITUC plan to pursue its International Labour Organization (ILO) complaint against the Guatemalan government; the mission is scheduled to brief the ILO mission to Guatemala this month.
Members of the mission: Stuart Howard, ITF Assistant General Secretary; Manuela Chavez ITUC; Frank Leys, ITF Dockers’ Section Secretary, Antonio Fritz, ITF Americas Regional Secretary, Amanda Villatoro ITUC-ORIT; Tim Beaty, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (US); Rob Wayss, AFL-CIO (US); Rebecca Madsen, CCOO (Spain); Jose Maria Fernandez, ISCOD/UGT (Spain); Francisco Torrealba ITF National Coordinator (Venezuela).
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