18 Jan 2007 Update: Today the ITF has sent an urgent letter to President Oscar Berger Perdomo in response to the brutal murder of Pedro Zamora, and also to address reports of further threats against the lives of STEPQ union leaders and their families. The ITF continues to demand a full investigation of this crime and for the protection of our brothers and sisters in Guatemala. The full text of the ITF letter is available below (in Spanish )

16 Jan 2007
Outrage over murder of Pedro Zamora

The ITF has expressed outrage over the murder of Guatemalan trade unionist, Pedro Zamora, General Secretary of the Dockers' union STEPQ. Zamora was brutally attacked yesterday in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, while driving his two children from the port hospital.

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Please send a protest message either using the text below or using your own text, to the President of Guatemala and his Interior Ministry. [also: English version]

Sr. Oscar Berger Perdomo
Presidente de la República
Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

Telefax +502 2253 0801
cc. Ministerio de Gobernación, Telefax +502 2413-8658

Estimado Sr. Presidente,

Le escribo para expresar mi condenación absoluta por el trágico asesinato de Pedro Zamora Álvarez, Secretario General del Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Empresa Portuaria Quetzal STEPQ, afiliado a la ITF, en la tarde del 15 de enero.

Según la información que tengo, los asesinos asaltaron a Pedro Zamora y a sus niños mientras que salía su vehículo de la zona portuaria. A Zamora le dispararon en la cara (tiro de gracia) e igualmente hirieron gravemente a su hijo de tres años.

Sr. Presidente, parece que el asesinato violento de Pedro Zamora fue directamente ligado a su actividad sindical y a su papel en los conflictos industriales recientes en Puerto Quetzal. Estoy seguro/a que usted coincidirá conmigo que utilizar la violencia como medida antisindical es completamente inaceptable, y que los asesinos, tanto materiales como intelectuales, no deben gozar de impunidad.

Por lo tanto le pido a usted que intervenga de manera urgente para iniciar una investigación inmediata sobre este crimen repugnante, con el fin de asegurar de que los responsables reciban la justicia apropiada.

Le agradecería nos envíe sus comentarios sobre este caso,

Sinceramente

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View archived Solidarity Email

The ITF has expressed outrage over the execution-style murder of Pedro Zamora, General Secretary of the Guatemalan STEPQ dockers’ union.  He was shot 20 times by multiple assailants who ambushed him as he collected his sons from a hospital appointment at 19:00 on Monday (January 15).  After firing 100 shots one walked up to the wounded Zamora and shot him at point blank range in the face – in front of his children, one of whom, three year old Angel, was wounded in the attack.  Zamora’s last act had been to push the children to the floor to try and protect them.

David Cockroft, ITF General Secretary said: “This is an outrage, pure and simple. It could not have been a more dirty and cowardly attack. It’s a filthy little act that makes the blood of any decent person boil.  The Guatemalan government will never be forgiven if it doesn’t investigate and then bring the murderers to justice.”

“The government and police are under the spotlight on this one. We and the international community will not allow them to let this case slip conveniently away the way they have too many times in the past. The people who carried out this brutal attack must be found, along with the people who ordered it – no matter who they are and how high up they work. The paramilitary style of this murder, including the use of the ‘tiro de gracia’, the shot in the face long favoured by right wing death squads and their for-hire thugs, should give the authorities a few pointers to where to begin looking.”

 “Pedro was one of our own, a valued member of the ITF as well as a family man and leader of his trade union. We will grieve for him alongside his family, friends and colleagues, but we will not forget that it does not end here.”

Pedro Zamora had known he was being followed for several months, in response to his role in defending workers’ jobs at Quetzal, while police were also sent to intimidate him, reportedly at the orders of the port company.  The ITF protested to the government about this in October last year, and notified the ILO (International Labour Organization), which has remonstrated with Guatemala before over the number of killings of trade unionists. 

At the time of his murder Pedro Zamora was continuing to negotiate on behalf of his members over the future of the port (more details at URL above). Just a week ago the Minister of Communications, Transport and Public Works had committed parliament to reinstate nine unfairly sacked workers, as requested by STEPQ and the ITF – reportedly to the anger of the port’s general manager, who was implicated as the man who ordered police to go into the port and arrest union leaders last year.

Just the week before, after the strong pressure of the Union's action, the Minister of Communications, Transport and Public Works, had committed to the National Parliament that the 9 still dismissed workers were going to be reinstated. The General Manager of the Port is said to have been extremely angry by this decision.

ITF has previously reported that the General Manager of the Port had sent police in civilian clothes (twice) to threaten the workers during demonstrations. They had told Pedro and his leaders that they had to stop opposing the management of the company. The main fight of the Union was to avoid privatization, to ask the government for a plan to modernize the port (in order to make productive under the management of the government) and for the dismissal of the General Manager who was the one apparently plotting the privatization of the Port.

Arturo Ruiz Thramppe, the GS of USTAC and ITF National Coordinator will hold a press conference to denounce the assassination. Details will be posted here once they are available.

Once again Guatemala shows that is famous for this kind of coward actions. Speaking by telephone, David Cockroft, General Secretary of the ITF, expressed his outrage over this murder. "I strongly condemn this cowardly attack and call upon the government of Guatemala to bring those responsible to justice immediately".