Murders of trade unionists in Guatemala condemned by International Trade Union Conference

The International Trade Union Conferedation (ITUC) has strongly condemned the recent murders of two members of the Consejo Político del Movimiento Sindical, Indígena y Campesino Guatemalteco (MSICG), Guatemala's trade union, indigenous and campesino (peasent) movement.

According to Scoop News, MSICG founding member Miguel Chacaj Jax died on 13 October at the hands of state security forces.

Pedro Ramirez De La Cruz, director of Indigenous Defenders of the Verapazes and a MSICG member, was assassinated on 29 November.

According to the Guatemela Human Rights Commission (USA), four other trade unionists have been murdered in Guatemela this year. In total, seventeen have been murdered in the past three years.

Trade unionist Jorge Chen Álvarez, an official in the National Health Workers' Union, also received a death threat on November 29.

The commission claims that no progress has been made in arresting and prosecuting those responsible for the murders any trade unionists since 2007.

You can send a letter to Attorney General Velasequez calling for a full investigation of the murders.

Brendan Barber, the General Secretary of Britain's Trade Union Congress, has also written to Guatamelan Ambassador Edmundo Urrutia saying: "We requested last month in a letter on 2 November concerning the murder of Victor Galvez that you convey to the government of President Colom our deep concerns about the situation facing trade unionists in Guatemala and our call for urgent measures to be taken at all levels to find and hold to account those responsible for their murder. We regret that we have not yet received a response to this letter, but urge you again to convey our views to your government."

Eviction of trade unionists from Guatemala City's Central Plaza:

On Human Rights Day, 27 members of the Peten Distributors Workers´ Union (SITRAPETEN) were evicted from their make-shift homes in Guatemala City's Central Plaza by the National Civil Police and the Municipal Transit Police. Tear gas was used on them and two observers.

You can see video of the eviction below:



It has been alleged that, as well as their tents, all their personal belongings were taken as well.

The SITRAPETEN members have occupied Central Plaza since being fired for creating the union last year.