Rapport intérimaire - Rapport No. 265, Juin 1989

1. 475. The complaints in Case No. 1434 were examined by the Committee at its
   • November 1988 meeting, when it submitted an interim report to the Governing
   • Body, which was based to a large extent on the direct contacts mission carried
   • out by Mr. Philippe Cahier in Colombia from 31 August to 7 September 1988.
   • (See 259th Report of the Committee, paras. 589 to 678 (and annexes) approved
   • by the Governing Body at its 241st Session (November 1988).) These complaints
   • were submitted by the following organisations: the Workers' Central
   • Organisation (CUT), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
   • (ICFTU), the World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profession
   • (WCOTP) and the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). Subsequently, the
   • Government sent new observations in communications dated 14 March and 17 May
2. 1989.
3. 476. The complaints concerning Case No. 1477 are contained in communications
   • from the CUT (26 and 28 October and 3 and 16 November 1988; 23 and 24
   • February, 29 March and 7 April 1989), the ICFTU (28 October and 8 November
4. 1988; and 3 February and 6 March 1989), the WFTU (10 November 1988 and 17
   • March 1989), the WCOTP (23 November 1988; and 20 February, 31 March and 14
   • April 1989), and the Trade Unions International of Public and Allied Employees
5. (2 and 20 March 1989). The Government replied in communications dated 26 and
6. 31 October and 14 December 1988, and 4 April and 24 May 1989.
7. 477. Colombia has ratified the Freedom of Association and Protection of the
   • Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and
   • Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).

A. Case No. 1434

• a. Previous examination of the case
  478. 478 When the Committee examined this case at its November 1988 meeting, it
• made the following recommendations on the allegations pending (see 259th
• Report, para. 678):
• The Committee is very deeply concerned by the dramatic situation of
• violence facing Colombia which generally makes conditions of normal existence
• impossible for the population and in particular impedes the exercise of trade
• union activities.
• As regards Case No. 1434, the Committee is shocked by the very high number
• of murders and disappearances, and expresses its particular preoccupation in
• noting that such a high number (over 200 since 1986) of trade union leaders
• and unionists, mostly linked to the CUT, the most representative organisation
• in the country, were among the victims. The Committee notes that the
• Government has adopted a series of positive measures to counter this violence,
• but observes that these measures have not met with the desired results.
• The Committee requests the Government to adopt vigorous measures at the
• national level to dismantle the so-called paramilitary groups active
• throughout the country which, according to the mission report, are the
• authors, along with hired assassins, of the majority of the murders of trade
• unionists. The Committee trusts that these groups and persons responsible for
• financing them will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law as soon as
• possible, and requests the Government to keep it informed on all these points.
• Likewise, the Committee requests the Government to communicate the results of
• the investigation of the paramilitary groups undertaken by the Deputy Attorney
• of the armed forces.
• The Committee requests the Government to supply full information concerning
• the existence and content of provisions in force concerning the so-called
• "self-defence committees" (composed of members of the civilian population in
• areas where guerillas are present, which have certain defence functions, but
• also collaborate with the army in military operations), on any monitoring that
• may exist concerning their actions and any sentences that have been handed
• down for abuse of power.
• Considering the high degree of impunity enjoyed in fact by those responsible
• for most of the murders of trade unionists, the Committee requests the
• Government to take the necessary measures to strengthen substantially the
• human and financial resources of the judiciary, and to keep the Committee
• informed in this respect.
• The Committee requests the Government to send observations concerning the
• alleged murders of 32 trade unionists in respect of whom no information has
• been received (see Annex I to 259th Report) and to keep it informed of
• developments in the judicial inquiries under way into the murders of the trade
• unionists identified in the Government's earlier replies.
• As regards the disappearance of trade unionists, the Committee notes that
• there is no official record of the disappearance of Jaime Casas Rojas, and
• that judicial inquiries have been opened into the disappearances of Marlene
• Medina Gómez, Luis Alberto Builes, Alvaro Usuga, Marina Elvia Déaz, Marcial
• Alonso González and Christian Roa. The Committee requests the Government to
• keep it informed of developments in these judicial inquiries and to send its
• observations concerning the disappearance of trade unionist Luis Villadiego,
• Gabriel Holguin and Lucio Serrano Luna.
• The Committee requests the complainant organisations to provide additional
• information concerning the alleged murder of Anébal Déaz and the disappearance
• of Jaime Casas Rojas and the arrest of Leonardo Chacón and Blanca Vera, since
• the Government states that it has no record of these events.
• b. The Government's reply
  479. 479 In its communication of 14 March 1989, the Government provides the
• following information in connection with some of the inquiries:
  • - Melba Amariles Hernández, Arturo Salazar, Gustavo de Jesús Callejas,
• Héctor Alonso Loaiza, Pablo Emilio Córdoba, Alonso Miguel Lozano, José
• Lilealdo Herrera Cano, Hamet Consuegra Llorente, Juan José Hérnández D. and
• Luis Antonio Martínez D. Those responsible for the murder of these persons
• have not been identified.
  • - Concerning the murder of Domitila Cigue, the investigation is being
• conducted by the 17th Criminal Examining Magistrates' Court of Santa Rosa de
• Viterbo (Bogotá) and, as a safety measure, the preventive detention of several
• people has been ordered; however their names may not be released because they
• are under investigation.
  • - Concerning the murder of Asdrúbal Jiménez Vacca, SINTAGRO adviser,
• statements have been taken from the sister of the deceased to try and obtain
• fresh information on the crime.
  480. 480 In its communication of 17 May 1989, the Government annexes three
• Decrees signed on 19 April 1989 by the President of the Republic (Nos. 813,
  814. 814 and 815) providing for: (1) the establishment of a commission mandated to
• evaluate and co-ordinate the actions against the death squads and other groups
• of hired assassins and of "private justice"; this commission includes the
• Ministers of Defence, of Justice and of the Government, the Chief of the
• Administrative Security Unit, the Chief Commander of the armed forces and the
• Director-General of the National Police; (2) the constitution of a special
• armed corps, comprised of 1,000 members of the National Police, to ensure
• public order against the death squads and other groups of hired assassins and
• of "private justice"; (3) the restriction of the population's collaboration
• with the armed forces to non-aggressive activities; under this Decree,
• civilians are expressly prohibited from giving, carrying and using firearms
• exclusively reserved for the armed forces.
• B. Case No. 1477
• a. The complainants' allegations
  481. 481 The complainant organisations allege that given the difficult period
• through which Colombia is passing, especially the working classes, the
• Workers' Central Organisation (CUT) submitted a list of claims to the
• Government on 18 May 1988 which, amongst other things, demanded that the
• Government should undertake a policy to protect trade union and popular
• leaders attempting by all possible means to dismantle paramilitary groups
• which have caused so many deaths amongst the ranks of trade unions and
• people's movements; it also requested an overall increase in wages and the
• freezing of prices of basic goods for the shopping basket for a specific
• period of time. As the Government failed to show any interest in discussing
• this list of claims, the CUT, the Workers' Confederation of Colombia (CTC),
• the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) and other trade union organisations
• called a general strike for 27 October 1988. The Government responded by
• issuing Decrees Nos. 2201 and 2200 on 25 October 1988 which, in particular,
• contain the following:
• Whilst the present state of siege continues, any trade union or trade union
• federation or confederation that organises, conducts, promotes, encourages or
• incites in any way outside the law, the total or partial, continuous or
• staggered stoppage of normal activities of an industrial or any other nature,
• may have their legal personality suspended by the Ministry of Labour and
• Social Security.
• Whilst the present state of siege continues, any one who organises,
• conducts, promotes, encourages or stimulates in any way outside the law the
• total or partial, continuous or staggered stoppage of normal activities of an
• industrial or any other nature, shall be liable to imprisonment from 30 to 180
• days; this sentence may be imposed by a governor, intendant, commissioner or
• mayor, on the basis of legal grounds.
• Any penalty imposed in accordance with the present Decree shall be
• considered just grounds for the termination of a labour contract.
  482. 482 The complainant organisations add that on the basis of these
• provisions, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security suspended the legal
• personality of the following organisations: Electricity Workers' Trade Union
• (SINTRAELECOL), Zipaquira Salt Mineworkers' Trade Union (SINTRASALINAS), Trade
• Union of Workers at the Mezclas Centre (SINTRAMEZCLAS), Trade Union of Workers
• in the Glass and Allied Industries (SINTRAVIDRICOL), San Juan De Dios Hospital
• Workers' Trade Union (SINTRAHOSPITAL), Agricultural Workers' Trade Union
• (SINTRAGRO), National Banana Industry Trade Union (SINTRABANANO) and National
• Food Industry Workers' Trade Union (SINTRAINAL). The complainant organisations
• also sent as an annex a list of 204 trade unionists and workers arrested on
• account of the general strike (the number which, at the end of November 1988,
• was reduced to 89), some of which were sentenced to 180, 150 and 60 days'
• imprisonment. The following were amongst those detained: Jasafat Tarazona,
• President of the Trade Union Federation of Santander, César Carrillo,
• President of the Petroleum Workers' Trade Union of Santander, Ligia Caceres,
• executive member of the National Federation of State Workers and Employees,
• Bernardo Blanco, member of the Trade Union of Agricultural Workers of the
• Department Norte de Santander, Orlando Mesa, Conzalo Gomez and Edilberto
• Ramirez, members of the Textile Workers' Trade Union, Eduardo Yando and
• Guillermo Chitan, members of the Inventors' Trade Union, and Ramón Sinisterra,
• member of the Sugar-Cane Trade Union. The complainant organisations point out
• that it is up to the judicial authorities to suspend the legal personality of
• trade union organisations and to impose prison sentences and not the
• administrative, military or police authorities. The complainant organisations
• also point out that many trade unionists and trade union officials were
• dismissed by virtue of the above-mentioned Decrees (the complainants enclose a
• list of 76 persons dismissed).
  483. 483 Furthermore, the complainant organisations, after pointing out that the
• paramilitary groups are continuing to murder trade union members and officials
• with total impunity, allege the following murders and disappearances:
  • - JOSE MANUEL HERRERA, deputy member of the National Executive of SUTIMAC,
• worker in the Cementos del Nare enterprise in the Caracolé municipality,
• murdered by hired assassins while he was going to his mother's house with his
• family in the district of La Sierra, Nare municipality (Antioquia). This gave
• rise to a strike which started at 9 p.m. on 4 September in the Cementos del
• Nare enterprise and the Caracolé quarries.
  • - CARLOS JAIME RINCON, activist and member of SINTRAELOCOL-Bucaramanga, 27
• years of age, murdered by hired assassins in Bucaramanga (Santander) on 13
• September 1988 whilst returning home.
  • - ARSENIO OSORIO, member of SINTRAMONARK, murdered on 23 September 1988 in
• the town of Cali (Valle) by two motor-cyclists; he was riddled with bullets
• and died before reaching hospital.
  • - HARVEY MURIEL VELASCO, member of the Teachers' Trade Union of Risaralda,
• Popular Front militant, murdered by four hired assassins in his classroom, in
• Vereda la Argentina on 4 October 1988.
  • - ANIBAL DE JESUS ECHEVERRIA (40 years of age) and MANUEL GILLERMO QUIROZ
    23. (23 years of age), members of SINTRAGRO, workers on the El Guineo farm;
  • murdered by a hired assassin in a jeep on 11 October 1988.
  • - ARGELIO NOVOA, member of SINDEJORNALEROS, candidate for the next elections
• to the Executive, worked on the Rita María estate in the municipality of
• Apartadó (Antioquia). On the pretext of searching for arms, five hired
• assassins riddled him with bullets in front of his home on 13 October 1988.
  • - ALVARO FAJARDO, head of Núcleo, trade union activist and member of the
  • co-operative movement; murdered by Lieutenant Danil Rodríquez, commander of
• the police station in the municipality of San José de Isnos (Huila), on 14
• October 1988.
  • - CESAR CASTRO, member of the National Peasants' Association, ANUC, was
• murdered on 15 October 1988.
  • - CARLOS CONDA, deputy member of the Executive of the Agricultural Workers'
• Trade Union of Caquetá; murdered by two hired assassins on a motor-bike at 9
• a.m. in Puerto Rico Caquetá on 15 October 1988.
  • - ELECTO FLOREZ, treasurer of SINTRABANANO; murdered on 15 October 1988 when
• he was travelling with his wife from Carepa to Apartadó at 7.15 p.m. by two
• hired assassins on a motor-bike. This crime was committed near the Voltígeros
• batallion.
  • - ALCARDO PATINO, member of SINTRABANANO, who worked on the Corralito estate
• in the municipality of Chigorodó (Antioquia); murdered by hired assassins on
  16. 16 October 1988.
      • - ALBERTO JOSE PALMERA, former President of the Deputy Executive of SINTAGRO
  17. in Chigorodó, employed on the Guatapuri estate; shot and killed outright on 17
• October 1988 several minutes after leaving the barracks; and MANUEL PENATE,
• wounded in the face on the same day, managed to get by himself to an ice-cream
• parlour to escape from hired assassins and from there to the Chigorodó
• hospital; he was then taken by a policeman in an ambulance to the Apartadó
• hospital, where he was found dead with about six bullets in his head. Manuel
• Peñate was a member of SINTAGRO and worked on the Ethel estate in Turbo.
  • - HERMELINDA CASTRO, member of the Executive of SINTRAPOY, employee of
• Inderena, engaged in the Carare-Opón forestry project; murdered by a hired
• assassin from MAS on 20 October 1988.
  • - FELIPE GALEANO, departmental ANUC official and FENSUAGRO official;
• murdered by six persons who came to his home at 5 p.m. on 23 October 1988.
  • - RISARALDA VEREDA ARGENTINA, trade union activitist from the Pereira
• district; murdered on 26 October 1988.
  • - OSCAR CHAQUER, teaching staff official in Córdoba, member of ADEMACOR;
• murdered by hired assassins in Montería (Córdoba) on 26 October 1988.
  • - FRANCISCO RENTERIA, murdered on 27 October 1988, when a ship from the
• national navy fired on the barge transporting workers from ASODIMBRAS and
• SINDEBRAS home.
  • - EMIRO TRUJILLO and LEONARDO LINDARTE CARVAJAL, distinguished professors of
• the Faculty of Public Health of the University of Antioquia. Mr. Trujillo was
  • Vice-President of the Association of Teachers at the University of Antioquia.
• They were murdered by DAS agents in Medellín on 31 October 1988.
  • - RAFAEL ATEHORTUA, President of the ADIDA Deputy Executive in Tamesis;
• murdered by hired assassins at 7 a.m. in the classroom in Palermo (district of
• Tamesis) on 8 November 1988.
  • - CLIRIO GRACIANO, member of the Assembly of Delegates of ADIDA for the Yali
• municipality; murdered by hired assassins on motor-bikes in Yali (Antioquia)
  9. on 9 November 1988.
     • - GABRIEL LOPEZ (57 years of age), ANUC activist, peasant farmer; murdered
  13. on 13 November 1988 at 7 p.m. in his home in San Pelaya (César).
      • - JOSE PEZOTE, ASINORT activist, teacher in Ocaña (Norte de Santander);
  14. murdered on 22 November 1988.
      • - RUBEN DARIO MEJIA, teacher, President of the ADIDA Deputy Executive of the
  15. municipality of Bolívar (Antioquia); shot and killed on 1 December 1988 by
• four hired assassins at 6 p.m. when he was in the municipality's park.
  • - ANDRES MOZO, treasurer of SINTRAGRO, member of the National Executive of
• the CUT; murdered on the Suerte No. 1 estate in Apartadó (Antioquia) at 9 a.m.
  3. on 3 December 1988.
     • - ANTONIO VEGA HERNANDEZ, member of SINTRAINDUPALMA; riddled with bullets
  4. when he was at the door of his house in San Alberto (César) on 27 December
  1988. 1988
        • - FERMIN MELENDEZ ACOSTA, ADEMACOR official and fighter for the cause of
  1989. workers in the teaching profession, President of FESTRACOR and member of the
• National Executive of the CUT; murdered by hired assassins on 31 December 1988
• when he was on the terrace of his house.
  • - FRANCISCO DE PAULA PEREZ CASTRILLON, teacher belonging to ADIDA; murdered
• by hired assassins in Medellín (Antioquia) on 1 January 1989.
  • - PEDRO SOLANO, worker at Indupalma, member of SINTRAINDUPALMA; shot by
• unknown persons in the 23rd district of Agosto de San Alberto (César) on 1
• January 1989.
  • - LUIS SIERRA, member of the National Executive of SINUVICOL, disappeared in
• the month of December and found dead on 5 January 1989.
  • - ANTONIO MARTINEZ, member of the Executive of SINTRATEXTIL and of the
• Committee of the Federation of Textile Workers in Antioquia, former member of
• the Executive Committee of FEDETA; murdered on 5 January 1989 when he was
• travelling by bus from his home to the Rionegro textiles enterprise where he
• worked; he was forced to leave the bus and riddled with bullets in front of
• his colleagues by a group of six hired assassins.
  • - MAURICIO ROMERO and HUMBERTO RUIZ (engineers), GUSTAVE PEREZ and GERARDO
• UPEGUI (technicians); murdered on 5 January 1989 in the Cementos del Nare
• enterprise (quarries section). Patricia Orejuela and Stella Martínez, members
• of the domestic staff, were seriously injured during these events. The workers
• in the Cementos del Nare enterprises in La Sierra and Caracolé stopped work to
• protest against these murders.
  • - ISIDRO CABALLERO DELGADO, teacher belonging to the Teachers' Trade Union
• of César; he was arrested on 7 February 1989 by soldiers in the district of
• Guaduas in San Alberto and has been missing since then. The army denies his
• arrest.
  • - JORGE MARTINEZ, President of the Agricultural Workers' Trade Union;
• murdered by unknown persons on 22 January 1989.
  • - JULIO ELIECER AGUDELO, treasurer of the Trade Union of Metallurgical
• Enterprises in Palmira; disappeared on 3 February 1989 and his body was found
  23. on 23 February in the Calima lake in the town of Cali.
      • - FRANCISCO DUMAR, Vice-President of the Avianca Trade Union; murdered on 13
  24. February in the department of Córdoba by two hired assassins who shot him when
• he was arriving at work in the morning.
  • - LUIS EDUARDO YAYA, President of the Trade Union Federation of Workers of
• Meta and member of the National Executive of the CUT; murdered in
• Villavicencio (Meta) on 23 February 1989 when he was leaving his home.
  • - FERMIN MELENDEZ, President of FESTRACOR and teachers' official in Córdoba;
• murdered in February 1989.
  • - JOSE MARIA CASTILLO, President of the Agricultural Workers' Trade Union of
• Arjona (Bolívar) and Vice-President of the Deputy Executive of the CUT in the
• department of Bolívar; murdered on 20 March 1989 in the town of Cartagena
• (Bolívar).
  • - HERNAN VARGAS CALDERON, teacher in the San Pablo college, Currillo,
• province of Coqueta; murdered on 3 April 1989 after having being threatened
• with death on several occasions. He is the second teacher to have been
• murdered in this college.
  • - LUIS ALBERTO CARDONA, university professor; murdered on 4 April 1989 in
• Pereira (Santa Rosa de Cabal), when he was on his way to give a lecture in the
• university of Santa Rosa de Cabal. He was President of the Human Rights
• Committee of Caldas and was recently awarded the Nelson Mandela peace medal;
• he was also a counsellor to the Patriotic Union in Chinchiná and adviser to
• various trade union organistions for a long time.
  • - EDISON PACHECO, President of the Federation of Workers of Córdoba,
• subsidiary of the CUT; murdered on 6 April 1989 in the town of Monteréa; his
• wife was hit by bullets and is in a serious condition.
  • - FERNANDO MESA CASTILLO, teacher at the national secondary school in
• Cartago and the technological university of Pereira; murdered on 7 April 1989.
  484. 484 The complainant organisations enclose as an annex a copy of a
• confidential report from the Administrative Department of Security (DAS),
• which states that:
• The hired assassins and drug traffickers operating in the district of Puerto
• Boyacá (Boyacá) use the "Association of Peasants and Cattle Raisers of El
• Magdalena Medio - ACDEGAM" as their cover, behind which they carry out their
• illegal activities ... The ACDEGAM executive is made up of the following
• officials: Henry Pérez, President; Gonzalo de Jesús Pérez, Vice-President and
• father of the former; Luis Rubio, Mayor of Puerto Boyacá. This organisation is
• made up of more than 300 armed men who move between the municipalities of
• Puerto Boyacá and Otanche (Boyacá), Cimitarra and Puerto Olaya (Santander), La
• Dorada (Caldas) and Puerto Berrio (Antioquia), thanks to the vehicles (more
• than 100) they have at their disposal - including jeeps, vans, cars, lorries
• and light aircraft. The group is supported by drug traffickers, cattle
• ranchers and farmers who, anyway, give over part of their land to the growing
• of coca leaves; this activity is covered up by other legal farming activities.
• Several high-ranking officials in El Magdalena Medio co-operate with ACDEGAM,
• of which particular mention should be made of the following: the Regional
• Attorney of Honda (Tolima); the Commander and Deputy Commander of the military
• base of Puerto Calderón; the head of the police in La Dorada (Caldas); head of
• the police in Puerto Boyacá (Boyacá); the Mayor of Puerto Boyacá (Boyacá) ...
• The gang of common criminals which are known throughout the region as
• "Death to Kidnappers (MAS)" is subsidised by several members of the so-called
• Medellín Cartel ... (of which names are quoted). The following persons are
• middle-ranking officials in the organisation of hired assassins: ... an army
• sergeant ... The DAS report continues by giving details about the training
• grounds of hired assassins and their whereabouts.
  485. 485 Finally, the complainant organisations allege the following acts of
• violence and arrests:
  • - On 6 October 1988, there was an attempt on the life of Mario Montes de
• Oca, member of the Executive of the Trade Union of Workers in Risaralda in
• Quinchia; he was injured.
  • - On 9 October 1988, unknown persons fired from a car at the teacher Hugo
• Arnulfo Escobar, leader of the Single Trade Union of Teachers of Valle in the
• municipality of Jamundé (Valle del Cauca).
  • - On 23 October 1988, police officers attacked workers travelling in trade
• union buses, injuring Adela Caicedo, Mármol Isaac and Parra Fausto.
  • - On 25 October 1988, bombs exploded in the headquarters of the Teachers'
• Trade Union of Santander and the Sugar-Cane Workers' Trade Union of Palmira.
• Some weeks before, on 6 October 1988, a ten-kilo bomb was discovered in the
• headquarters of the Teachers' Trade Union of Córdoba, which was timed to go
• off during the meeting of the union executive; fortunately, the bomb was
• discovered in time and defused.
  • - In October 1988, the CUT publicly denounced the harassment of Angela Tobón
• Puerta and Jimmy Abdala Oliveros, trade union officials in Antioquia; after
• the calling of the general strike on 27 October, they had been followed and
• harassed by armed civilians and received threatening calls at their homes.
  • - Ana Inés Candela (Vice-President of the Trade Union of the National
• Provident Fund) and Maritza Palencia (employee of the district administration
• of this Fund in Bogotá and member of the Trade Union of Employees in the
• special district of Bogotá) were accussed of having links with the guerrillas.
• During the trial, the judges dismissed the charges and ordered the persons
• concerned to be released. However, they are still being held in the Buen
• Pastor Prison in Bogotá, where they have been since 7 January 1989 (these
• allegations are contained in a communication dated 2 March 1989).
  • - In March 1989, there was a terrorist attack against Alfonso Rodríguez,
• manager of the ECOPETROL Workers' Co-operative; a bomb was placed in his home.
  • - On the morning of 29 March, army troops from the military headquarters in
• Urabá arrested all of the workers on the Pan Gordito estate and others from
• the El Porvenir estate, both of which are in the municipality of Apartadó.
• More than 85 persons were arrested, including three SINTAGRO officials:
• Fernando Diaz, member of the national executive; Clémaco Herrera, member of
• the Carepa deputy executive; and Mario Ibarra, member of the deputy executive
• of Apartadó. The three officials were tortured, and after the workers of Urabá
• took action they were released on 30 March at 5 p.m. Mario Ibarra is seriously
• ill in hospital in Bogotá.
  • - On 7 April 1989, there was an attempt on the life of the treasurer of the
• Workers' Federation of Norte de Santander (FENOSTRA-CUT), Juan Bautista
• Patiño, during which his 18-year-old son was injured. This occurred in
• Pamplona and the shots were fired from a car.
  • - Officials of the Federation of Workers' Trade Unions (USITRAS), in
• Santander, have received death threats. These threats have been received by
• César Martínez, Rarid Florez and Alberto Gil, all officials of the Teachers'
• Trade Union of Santander, and Victor Lizcano, President of USITRAS.
  • - In Santa Marta, Magdalena, the Workers' Federation of Magdalena has
• received death threats against its trade union officials, Henry Taité,
• President of the Trade Union of Licorera, Juan Luis Gómez, Lurdes Manjarrés
• and Angel Manjarrés. The two latter persons are teachers' trade union
• officials.
• b. The Government's reply
  486. 486 In its communication of 26 October 1988, the Government encloses
• information published in the press on a document confiscated by the Colombian
• authorities according to which, during the strike organised for Thursday, 27
• October, by the CUT and the CGT, the so-called "National Guerrillas'
  • Co-ordinating Committee" was preparing a day of terrorism and planning all
• sorts of attacks and disturbances against public law and order - totally
• divorced from trade union matters. This document had unmasked a sinister
• terrorist plot involving the majority of guerrilla groups, organised by the
• "Simón Bolívar Terrorist Co-ordinating Committee". This plan set out: to call
• upon all sectors of the population and workers to engage actively in street
• fights and to antagonise the police; to deploy a large-scale "military
• action", by carrying out attacks against and sabotaging public bodies; before
• and during the general strike on Thursday, to install groups of agitators and
• carry out a vast campaign of psychological terrorism by means of anonymous
• telephone calls and false alarms, announcing the placing of explosives in
• various places; to extend terrorism to petrol stations, telephone exchanges,
• electricity networks and stations and airports, to oil pipelines, gas
• pipelines and other pipelines and to international enterprises; to weld, with
• synthetic materials, the locks of various businesses so that the employees
• could not go to work on that day; to blow up roads and destroy bridges, to
• scatter nails, block the main approaches to industrial complexes, prevent the
• mobilisation of troops and blockade municipal centres in order to cut off the
• supply of agricultural goods to towns; to draw the troops away to areas remote
• from urban centres in order to ambush them and attack the military bases which
• would consequently be less well guarded.
  487. 487 With its communication of 31 October 1988, the Government transmits the
• speech made by the President of the Republic, the day after the strike called
• by the trade union federations. Several extracts are given here below:
• I am able to announce to you that we have defeated the enemies of our
• country. The measures of prevention taken by the national Government to
• maintain law and order today have been successful. Our institutions have shown
• renewed evidence of their strength. The test to which several violent small
• groups wished to put our democracy has been largely overcome.
• The strike called by several trade union federations was not followed. The
• vast majority of the population preferred to fulfil their obligations and go
• to work. Although the subversive elements had planned various actions to
• destabilise the situation, there were no serious incidents. The intervention
• of the armed forces prevented any terrorist action. The measures adopted by
• the Government proved successful in upholding law and order.
• But it is you, Colombians from all walks of life - workers, heads of
• enterprises, housewives and ordinary people - who, thanks to your
• steadfastness, have turned a threat into a plebiscite in favour of peace and
• democracy. I have always firmly believed that the agitators' major obstacle
• would be the allegiance of the majority to our institutions. Similarly, I was
• also sure that subversive action would never succeed because it would always
• come up against the feelings of the majority of Colombians.
  488. 488 In its communication of 14 December 1988, the Government, referring to
• the day of protest known as the general strike, called by the CUT and backed
• by the CGT and CTC, states that only trade unions or groups of workers
• directly or indirectly concerned have the right to strike. Under section 417
• of the Labour Code, "all trade unions shall have the right, without any
• restrictions whatsoever, to establish and join local, regional, occupational
• or industrial federations and these shall also have the right to join together
• in confederations. Federations and confederations shall be entitled to
• recognition of their legal personality and the same functions as trade unions,
• with the exception of the right to declare a strike, which belongs
• exclusively, when authorised by the law, to the trade unions or groups of
• workers directly or indirecly concerned". The Government adds that, as regards
• the alleged arrests of trade union officials during the day of protest on 27
• October 1988, the Ministry of Labour has started preliminary investigations to
• determine the accuracy of these allegations.
  489. 489 In a later communication dated 4 April 1989, the Government states that
• it appears from the allegations that the arrests were necessary to comply with
• the standards of public law and order. The Government was guided by the
• philosophy that public law and order should not be disrupted. The situation
• prevailing in Colombia is well known and it was important that it should not
• worsen. It is for this reason that the state of siege has been decreed on
• several occasions and this provides for restrictions on some rights. These
• disruptions of public law and order require high-level policy decisions. The
• Government stresses that not only trade unionists and workers are victims of
• the violence, but also heads of enterprises and civil servants. Furthermore,
• as regards the suspension of legal personality, the Government states that it
• is bound to abide by the rulings of the State Council, which is competent at
• the national level to define the situation. Finally, the Government requests
• the ILO to ask the trade union organisations for detailed information on the
• places where the alleged occurrences in the present case occurred. (The
• International Labour Office immediately sent the Government's request to the
• complainant organisations.)
  490. 490 Furthermore, the Government asks the ILO to request the complainant
• organisations to provide detailed information about the places where the
• alleged facts took place (the International Labour Office immediately
• transmitted the Government's request to the complainant organisation).
• Finally, in its communication of 24 May 1989, the Government indicates that
• the union leaders detained because of the 27 October 1988 strike have been
• released the following days (Mrs. Ligia Cáceres was held in detention for 15
  • days). The Government then mentions a series of serious acts of terrorism and
• sabotage which were committed in the country on the day of that strike.

C. The Committee's conclusions

1. 491. As regards the allegations concerning the murders and disappearances of
   • trade union leaders and unionists, the Committee recalls that at its November
2. 1988 meeting it pointed out that, without doubt, it found itself confronted
   • with one of the most serious cases it had received concerning the respect for
   • the right to life (see 259th Report, para. 650), and that the dramatic
   • situation of violence facing Colombia impeded the full exercise of trade union
   • activities (see 259th Report, para. 678(b)). Consequently, the Committee,
   • after stating how shocked it was by the very high number of murders and
   • disappearances of trade union leaders and unionists (over 200 since 1986),
   • requested the Government: (1) to adopt vigorous measures at the national level
   • to dismantle the so-called paramilitary groups active throughout the country,
   • and (2) to take the necessary measures to strengthen substantially the human
   • and financial resources of the judiciary (see 259th Report, para. 678( d)and
     • (f)). The allegations examined by the Committee at its November meeting also
   • included death threats to hundreds of trade unionists.
3. 492. Six months after having examined these extremely serious allegations,
   • the Committee notes the contents of Decrees Nos. 813, 814 and 815 of 19 April
4. 1989 that establish a high-level commission mandated to evaluate and
   • co-ordinate actions against the death squads and other groups of hired
     • assassins and of "private justice", as well as a Special Armed Corps comprised
   • of 1,000 members of the National Police, to fight these groups; furthermore,
     • under these Decrees the population's collaboration with the armed forces is
     • restricted to non-aggressive activities, and civilians are prohibited from
     • giving, carrying and using firearms exclusively reserved for the armed forces.
     • In spite of these developments, the Committee notes with deep concern that the
     • complainants have alleged the murder of a further 46 trade unionists, another
     • disappearance and many acts of violence, and that there are no indications in
     • the Government's observations that it has adopted effective and definite
     • measures to strengthen the human and financial resources of the judiciary. In
     • addition, as regards the alleged murders and disappearances, the Government
     • has merely referred to the stage reached in the inquiries undertaken
     • concerning ten of the murders, pointing out that those responsible for these
     • murders have not been identified.
   • 493. In these circumstances, the Committee expresses its disappointment,
     • reiterates the conclusions and recommendations it reached at its November 1988
     • meeting and is obliged to conclude at its present meeting that the Government
     • has not yet adopted all the necessary and appropriate measures required from
     • it to guarantee the right to life to trade union leaders and unionists, which
     • is a fundamental prerequisite for the exercise of the rights contained in
     • Convention No. 87. Taking into account the absolute need to put an end to the
     • violence confronting the country, which is seriously affecting trade union
     • circles, the Committee urges the Government to adopt the measures it proposed
     • to strengthen substantially the human and financial resources of the
     • judiciary. The Committee requests the Government to send observations on the
     • allegations concerning the numerous murders of trade unionists in respect of
     • whom no information has been received (see Annex I), to keep it informed of
     • developments in the judicial inquiries undertaken on the other cases (see
     • Annex II), and on the results of the measures taken to fight and dismantle the
     • death squads and the other groups of hired assassins or of "private justice".
   • 494. As regards the banning of the general strike on 27 October 1988 and the
     • measures adopted as a result of the strike (suspension of the legal
     • personality of eight trade unions by the Ministry of Labour, arrests and
     • dismissals of a large number of trade unionists) under Decrees Nos. 2201 and
   • 2200 issued under the state of emergency, the Committee notes the Government's
     • statements that federations and confederations do not enjoy the right to
     • strike (section 417 of the Labour Code) and that during the above-mentioned
     • general strike, the "National Guerillas Co-ordinating Committee" was preparing
     • a day of terrorism which included calling upon workers to engage in street
     • fights and clashes with the police, assaults and acts of sabotage against
     • strategic points and attacks on military bases. The Committee notes that the
     • decrees issued under the state of emergency on account of the general strike
     • sought to avoid the disturbance of public law and order in view of the
   • well-known situation prevailing in Colombia, resulting in arrests on this
     • occasion; it also notes that as regards the suspensions of legal personality,
     • the Council of State is the competent authority that has to define the
     • situation.
   • 495. The Committee considers that a general protest strike demanding that an
     • end be put to the hundreds of murders of trade union leaders and unionists
     • during the past few years is a lawful trade union activity. The Government
     • raised two basic arguments for its banning: (1) labour legislation denies this
     • right for federations and confederations; and (2) groups of guerillas were
     • planning to carry out attacks and to sabotage installations during this
     • strike. On the first point, the Committee has mentioned on many occasions that
     • "the prohibition on calling of strikes by federations and confederations is
     • not compatible with Article 6 of the Convention, which refers to Article 3 of
     • the Convention with respect to the functioning of federations and
     • confederations". (See Digest of Decisions and Principles of the Committee,
   • 1985, para. 366.) Similarly, at its March 1989 meeting, the Committee of
     • Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations objected to
     • section 417 of the Labour Code that bans federations and confederations from
     • calling a strike and requested the Government to review the legislation on
     • this matter. As regards the attacks and acts of sabotage which, according to
     • the Government, guerilla groups were planning to carry out during the general
     • strike and actually took place, the Committee recalls that from the standpoint
     • of the principles of freedom of association, nothing would have prevented the
     • banning of the strike in essential services (i.e. in those services whose
     • interruption would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the whole
     • or part of the population) or the setting up of minimum services. The
     • Committee therefore concludes that the banning of the general strike on 27
     • October 1988, by virtue of the decrees issued under the state of emergency on
   • 25 October, constitute a serious violation of freedom of association.
5. 496. As regards the consequences of the above-mentioned general strike, the
   • Committee shares the point of view expressed by the Committee of Experts in
   • its March 1989 meeting, when it examined the question of the suspension of the
   • legal personality by administrative authority under the above-mentioned
   • decrees issued under the state of emergency. The Committee of Experts stated
   • the following:
   • The Committee wishes to refer to the conclusions made by the Committee on
   • Freedom of Association when examining Case No. 1343 concerning Colombia (see
6. 244th Report, para. 376) in which it gave its opinion on the suspension of the
   • legal personality of an organisation and pointed out that the dissolution or
   • suspension by administrative authority of workers' and employers'
   • organisations is contrary to the provisions of Article 4 of the Convention,
   • particularly since the appeal to the Ministry of Labour (the result of which
   • would be subject to judicial appeal) did not result in the suspension of the
   • measure; consequently, the organisations in question could not legally operate
   • while the measure was in force. The Committee also notes that in October 1988,
   • subsequent to the above report of the Committee on Freedom of Association,
   • decrees were again issued under the state of emergency penalising the
   • organisations participating in the general strike planned for 20 October 1988
   • with the suspension of their legal personalities.
   • In these circumstances, the Committee regrets that the Government has not
   • taken into account the comments by the supervisory bodies on this subject and
   • requests the Government to take measures to eliminate from the legislation any
   • possibility of suspension or dissolution by administrative authority, or at
   • least to provide that the administrative decision does not take effect until
   • the judicial authority has ruled on any appeal that may be made by the trade
   • union organisations concerned. The Committee points out that trade union
   • organisations must be able to call legitimate strikes in order to further the
   • economic and social interests of their members without being liable to
   • suspension or dissolution when their action has remained peaceful in nature.
7. 497. In these circumstances, the Committee urges the Government to lift the
   • suspension of the legal personality of all the trade union organisations
   • concerned and to take measures to ensure that the legislation prohibits this
   • type of suspension in all cases, including in a state of emergency.
8. 498. As regards the arrests (204 according to the complainants) and
   • dismissals (76 according to the complainants), the Committee regrets that the
   • Government did not comment on the lists of trade unionists affected by these
   • measures and merely stated, in a general way, that the arrests occurred
   • because of a failure to comply with standards of public law and order, and
   • that the detained union leaders were released on the following days.
   • Furthermore, the Committee notes that the decrees issued under the state of
   • emergency, to which the complainant organisations referred, provide that the
   • administrative or military authorities and not the judicial authority may
   • impose prison sentences of 30 to 180 days for having encouraged the strike; it
   • also notes that, in principle, the above-mentioned sentences must already have
   • come to an end. The Committee requests the Government to inform it whether
   • this is the case; furthermore, it deplores all those cases in which prison
   • sentences are handed down on account of activities to organise strike action
   • because these constitute a violation of freedom of association and it requests
   • the Government to take measures to ensure that the legislation prevents the
   • administrative or military authorities from imposing penal sanctions. The
   • Committee also stresses out that nobody should be dismissed or discriminated
   • against in their work on account of their trade union activities and requests
   • the Government to take measures towards the reinstatement of those workers
   • dismissed for having taken part in the general strike.
9. 499. Finally, the Committee regrets that the Government did not reply to the
   • other allegations referring to arrests and acts of violence against trade
   • unionists and trade union headquarters since October 1988, as well as to a
   • report from the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) provided by the
   • complainants, and which concern a paramilitary group from Puerto Boyacá in
   • which several civilian and military authorities are allegedly involved. The
   • Committee requests the Government to reply to these allegations.

ANNEX I

1. List of unionists whose death or disappearance is alleged
2. and concerning whom the Government has sent its observations
3. a) Murdered unionists
4. 1. JOSUE EDUARDO FUENMAYOR (7-IX-86)
5. 2. ESTEBAN FERNANDEZ (6-VI-87)
6. 3. NARCISO MOSQUERA SANCHEZ (4-VII-87)
7. 4. HAROLD JIMENEZ (19-VII-87)
8. 5. IGNACIO BEDOYA (8-VIII-87)
9. 6. MARCO TULIO VILLA (9-IX-87)
10. 7. JOSE GABRIEL CUADROS (3-XII-87)
11. 8. MIGUEL DURAN SARMIENTO (7-XII-87)
12. 9. GILDARDO GONZALEZ (3-I-88)
13. 10. JESUS EMILIO MONSALVE (24-I-88)
14. 11. JUAN DE JESUS GRISALES (3-II-88)
15. 12. ROGELINO RIOS (9-III-88)
16. 13. ROBINSON GIRALDO (4-IV-88)
17. 14. OSWALDO TEHERAN (16-IV-88)
18. 15. HERNANDO COLON HERNANDEZ (27-IV-88)
19. 16. RAFAEL DUQUE PEREZ (27-IV-88)
20. 17. JUAN DIEGO ARANGO MORALES (5-V-88)
21. 18. EFRAIN PEA REYES (13-XII-87)
22. 19. RICARDO RIOS SERRANO (26-VIII-88)
23. 20. LEON CARDONA ISAZA (30-VIII-88)
24. 21. CARLOS TELLEZ (22-II-88)
25. 22. JAIRO SAJONERO GOMEZ (26-II-88)
26. 23. BLANCA ISMELIA MORENO (4-III-88)
27. 24. ALFONSO KUJAVANTE (15-III-88)
28. 25. BENIGNO AGUALIMPIA IBARGUEN (22-III-88)
29. 26. TOMAS BERRIO WILCHES (3-IV-88)
30. 27. GUILLERMO OCHOA (25-IV-88)
31. 28. JOSE OCTAVIO BUITRAGO IBA EZ (25-IV-88)
32. 29. JULIO C. GUTIERREZ (V-88)
33. 30. MANUEL SALVADOR RAMIREZ (20-V-88)
34. 31. LUIS GREGORIO TORRES MORA (29-V-88)
35. 32. HECTOR JULIO ORTIZ (8-VI-88)
36. 33. JOSE MANUEL HERRERA (4-IX-88)
37. 34. CARLOS JAIME RINCON (13-IX-88)
38. 35. ARSENIO OSORIO (23-IX-88)
39. 36. HARVEY MURIEL VELASCO (4-X-88)
40. 37-38. ANIBAL DE JESUS ECHEVERRIA and MANUEL GUILLERMO QUIROZ (11-X-88)
41. 39. ARGELIO NOVOA (13-X-88)
42. 40. ALVARO FAJARDO (14-X-88)
43. 41. CESAR CASTRO (15-X-88)
44. 42. CARLOS CONDA (15-X-88)
45. 43. ELECTO FLOREZ (15-X-88)
46. 44. ALCARDO PATINO (16-X-88)
47. 45-46. ALBERTO JOSE PALMERA and MANUEL PENATE (17-X-88)
48. 47. HERMELINDA CASTRO (20-X-88)
49. 48. FELIPE GALEANO (23-X-88)
50. 49. RISARALDA VEREDA ARGENTINA (26-X-88)
51. 50. OSCAR CHAQUER (26-X-88)
52. 51. FRANCISCO RENTERIA (27-X-88)
53. 52-53. EMIRO TRUJILLO and LEONARDO LINDARTE CARVAJAL (31-X-88)
54. 54. RAFAEL ATEHORTUA (8-XI-88)
55. 55. CLIRIO GRACIANO (9-XI-88)
56. 56. GABRIEL LOPEZ (13-XI-88)
57. 57. JOSE PEZOTE (22-XI-88)
58. 58. RUBEN DARIO MEJIA (1-XII-88)
59. 59. ANDRES MOZO (3-XII-88)
60. 60. ANTONIO VEGA HERNANDEZ (27-XII-88)
61. 61. FERMIN MELENDEZ ACOSTA (31-XII-88)
62. 62. FRANCISCO DE PAULA PEREZ CASTRILLON (1-I-89)
63. 63. PEDRO SOLANO (1-I-89)
64. 64. LUIS SIERRA (5-I-89)
65. 65. ANTONIO MARTINEZ (5-I-89)
66. 66-69. MAURICIO ROMERO, HUMBERTO RUIZ, GUSTAVO PEREZ and GERARDO UPEGUI
67. (5-I-89)
68. 70. JORGE MARTINEZ (22-I-89)
69. 71. JULIO ELIECER AGUDELO (13-II-89)
70. 72. FRANCISO DUMAR (13-II-89)
71. 73. LUIS EDUARDO YAYA (23-II-89)
72. 74. FERMIN MELENDEZ (II-89)
73. 75. JOSE MARIA CASTILLO (20-III-89)
74. 76. HERNAN VARGAS CALDERON (3-IV-89)
75. 77. LUIS ALBERTO CARDONA (4-IV-89)
76. 78. EDISON PACHECO (6-IV-89)
77. 79. FERNANDO MESA CASTILLO (7-IV-89)
78. b) Unionists who have disappeared
79. 1. LUIS VILLADIEGO
80. 2. GABRIEL HOLGUIN
81. 3. LUCIO SERRANO LUNA
82. 4. ISIDRO CABALLERO DELGADO
83. ANNEX
84. ANNEXE II
85. List of unionists who have disappeared or have been murdered
86. concerning whom the Committee requests the Government to inform
87. it of developments in the judicial inquiries under way
88. a) Murdered unionists
89. 1. JOSE ELI PAEZ (1986)
90. 2. FRANCISCO ANTONIO JIMENEZ (27-II-86)
91. 3. MARIO TABORDA (27-II-86)
92. 4. VICTOR HERNANDEZ (26-III-86)
93. 5. WALTER ROLDAN (27-III-86)
94. 6-7. JULIO CESAR SANTACRUZ and SIMEON RAMIREZ (IV-86)
95. 8. AURELIO DE JESUS ORTIZ (13-IV-86)
96. 9. RUBEN PINEDA (20-IV-86)
97. 10. PEDRO LEON PINEDA (23-IV-86)
98. 11. CARLOS JULIO ORTIZ (16-IV-86)
99. 12. GABRIEL HOLGUIN OLAVE (7-V-86)
100. 13. SAUL VILLADA (28-VI-86)
101. 14. BALDOMERO MOSQUERA (2-VII-86)
102. 15-17. LUIS ENRIQUE ESPANA, LUIS FELIPE MURILLO, LUIS CARLOS TORRES
103. (14-VII-86)
104. 18. JOSE LEALDO HERRERA CANO (20-IX-86)
105. 19. GUSTAVO MAYA CARVAJAL (20-IX-86)
106. 20. OSCAR DARIO TORRES (7-IX-86)
107. 21. JOSE MARIA IMBETT ARRIETA (11-XI-86)
108. 22. MARIO CORREZ (11-XI-86)
109. 23. INES ARRIETA (2-XII-86)
110. 24. JULIO CESAR URIBE (8-XII-86)
111. 25. TOBIAS TORRES (10-XII-86)
112. 26. JAIRO ANTONIO CHAMORRO ROMERO (13-I-87)
113. 27. RICARDO EMILIO CORREA (28-I-87)
114. 28. PEDRO HERNANDEZ TORRES (I-87)
115. 29. FREDI TAPIAS (16-II-87)
116. 30-31. RANULFO ENRIQUE SERRANO MORA and ADALBERTO GONZALEZ (16-II-87)
117. 32. OSCAR EXTREMOR (16-II-87)
118. 33. OVIDIO CANO PE ATE (26-II-87)
119. 34. OBDULIO PALACIO LEMOS (28-II-87)
120. 35. JOSE HERNAN USUGA (7-III-87)
121. 36. JESUS ANTONIO MOLINA (9-III-87)
122. 37-39. NEMESIO CORDOBA SALAS, PASCUAL ACOSTA PEREZ and GERARDO DIAZ CHAVERRA
123. (11-III-87)
124. 40. FIDEL ANTONIO PINO QUIROS (14-III-87)
125. 41-42. ESTEBAN AGUALIMPIA PEREZ and FABIO DE JESUS LONDO O GARCIA (14-III-87)
126. 43. SAMUEL VALDES RIOS (1-IV-87)
127. 44. MARIO ACORO CUERO (22-V-87)
128. 45-46. ELADIO RENTERIA and GILDARDO MENA (3-VI-87)
129. 47-49. ANTONIO FERNANDEZ, PEDRO EZEQUIEL GIL and JUAN ANTONIO LOPEZ DAVID
130. (13-VI-87)
131. 50. DARIO GARRIDO RUIZ (3-VII-87)
132. 51. FRANCISCO ANTONIO PALACIO (16-VII-87)
133. 52. EUCLIDES GARZON (16-VII-87)
134. 53-55. BERNARDO GARCIA, JAIME BLANDON and LUIS GUZMAN (VII-87)
135. 56. ADAN GONZALEZ (18-VII-87)
136. 57. ALBERTO COGUELLO (19-VII-87)
137. 58. HERNANDO DE JESUS SANGUINO YACOME (23-VII-87)
138. 59. CARLOS LOPEZ BEDOYA (3-VIII-87)
139. 60. JESUS HERNANDO RESTREPO (4-VIII-87)
140. 61. PEDRO LUIS VALENCIA G. (14-VIII-87)
141. 62. REYNALDO ALZATE CIFUENTES (18-VIII-87)
142. 63. LEONARDO BETANCUR (25-VIII-87)
143. 64. ALEJANDRO JOSE GOMEZ RICARDO (25-VIII-87)
144. 65. LUIS FELIPE VELEZ HERRERA (25-VIII-87)
145. 66. HECTOR ABAD GOMEZ (25-VIII-87)
146. 67. MARCIANO BERRIO (3-IX-87)
147. 68. FULTON GARCES (6-IX-87)
148. 69. JOSE FIDEL MANJARRES (8-IX-87)
149. 70. WILLIAN ALFONSO CADENA (9-IX-87)
150. 71. APOLINO HERNANDEZ DE LA ROSA (13-IX-87)
151. 72. DORA TORRES (18-IX-87)
152. 73. GILBERTO CHAVERRA ROBLEDO (20-IX-87)
153. 74. EUCLIDES MONTES NEGRETE (24-IX-87)
154. 75. DOMITILA GUANAY DE SIGUA (27-IX-87)
155. 76. JOSE ALDEMAR GONZALEZ GALINDO (29-IX-87)
156. 77. ALBERTO ANGULO (29-IX-87)
157. 78. JUAN PAULINO LOPEZ MENA (30-IX-87)
158. 79. PABLO EMILIO CORDOBA MADRIGAL (30-IX-87)
159. 80. ALFONSO MIGUEL LOZANO (X-87)
160. 81. JOSE ARISTIDES GIRON (X-87)
161. 82. CARLOS ALFREDO VANEGAS OSSA (X-87)
162. 83. RODRIGO GUZMAN MARTINEZ (X-87)
163. 84. JESUS CORDOBA QUINTERO (25-X-87)
164. 85-86. ALONSO LOAIZA and GUSTAVO DE JESUS CALLEJAS (16-XI-87)
165. 87. ARGEMIRO COLORADO (4-XII-87)
166. 88. OVIDIO ASSIA (8-I-88)
167. 89. MANUEL GUSTAVO CHACON SARMIENTO (15-I-88)
168. 90. ARGEMIRO CORREA (15-I-88)
169. 91. AUGUSTO GUERRERO MARQUEZ (19-I-88)
170. 92. ARTURO SALAZAR (19-I-88)
171. 93. DARIO GOMEZ (19-I-88)
172. 94. JESUS EMILIO MONSALVE (24-I-88)
173. 95. HUBERT ANIBAL CABEZAS CORTES (1-II-88)
174. 96. BERNARDO ARBELAEZ (2-II-88)
175. 97. JULIO ALBERTO MARTINEZ FAURA (2-II-88)
176. 98-118. OMAR OCHOA, IVAN DARIO MOLINA, GUILLERMO LEON VALENCIA, JOSE BLANCO,
177. JULIA CARRILLO, MANUEL COGOLLO ESPITIA, ALIRIO ROJAS, NATANAEL ROJAS, JOSE
178. PINEDA, GUIDO GONZALEZ MARTINEZ, BIENVENIDO GONZALEZ MARTINEZ, PEDRO GONZALEZ
179. MARTINEZ, ENRIQUE GUISADO MARTINEZ, RITO MARTINEZ REYES, GILBERTO MENESES,
180. JOAQUIN MENDOZA, JOSE MENA SANCHEZ, SANTIAGO ORTIZ, RODRIGO GUZMAN, MANUEL
181. DURANGO and NESTOR MARINO GALVIS (4-III-88)
182. 119. VALENCIA VASCO CAMARGO (III-88)
183. 120. JOSE ANTONIO BOHORQUEZ (16-III-88)
184. 121-144. JUAN SAEZ MARTINEZ, TOMAS BERRIO WILCHES, DONALDO BENITEZ BENITEZ,
185. DIONISIO BENITEZ BENITEZ, LUIS SIERRA, FREDY MARTINEZ, TOMAS RIVERO AGUIRRE,
186. JOSE GUEVARA, PEDRO PABLO MARQUEZ BENITEZ, CARLOS MARQUEZ BENITEZ, OSCAR
187. SIERRA MERCADO, DOMINGO SALAS, CARMEN BARRAGAN, JAIME PATERNINA, IVAN ACEVEDO,
188. RAMON NISPERUZA, ROGELIO MEJIA MEDRANO, MATENCIO SAENZ, SILVERIO SAENZ, SILVIO
189. PEREZ PEREZ, SILVIO MELENDEZ, JUAN RUIZ, CLETO MARTINEZ and MARCOS MARTINEZ
190. (3-IV-88)
191. 145-146. JOSE FRANCISCO POLO VILLALOBOS and HUMBERTO MARTINEZ GUALDRON
192. (9-IV-88)
193. 147-166. JOSE DURANGO ZAPATA, MANUEL GONZALEZ TURIZO, LEONARDO PALACIO ROMAZA,
194. CALIXTO ANTONIO GONZALEZ TURIZO, PABLO EMILIO MAZO MURILLO, ORLANDO
195. BALLESTEROS MARTINEZ, LUCAS HERNANDEZ MADARRIAGA, MANUEL MARTINEZ, HERMINIO
196. BALLESTEROS, NEVER LOPEZ, EDILBERTO AVILA, CALIXTO HERRERA, BERNARDO SEGURA,
197. GILBERTO QUINTERO, TIRSO NOE GARAVITO, MARIO ANAYA, DOMINGO DELGADO, FRANCISCO
198. YANEZ, HEISEN TORRES and MILCIADES HURTADO (11-IV-88)
199. 167. AUGUSTO MUNOZ CASTRILLON (21-IV-88)
200. 168. OVIDIO BERMUDEZ (2-V-88)
201. 169. CAMILO RENTERIA (12-V-88) 170. HAMET CONSUEGRA LLORENTE (26-V-88)
202. 171. FRANCISCO TRIVINO (28-V-88)
203. 172-173. OSCAR RESTREPO and GUILLERMO DE JESUS OSORIO (26-VI-88)
204. 174-176. CESAR GENARO SERPA, EDISON GARCIA, FELIX BOHORQUEZ (14-VII-88)
205. 177. GERARDO JEREZ QUIROGA (15-VII-88)
206. 178-179. LUIS ANTONIO MARTINEZ DUARTE and JUAN JOSE HERNANDEZ DUENAS
207. (28-VII-88)
208. 180. ALIRIO ZARAZA MARTINEZ (29-VII-88)
209. b) Unionists who have disappeared
210. 1. MARLENE MEDINA GOMEZ
211. 2. LUIS ALBERTO BUILES
212. 3. ALVARO USUGA
213. 4. MARINA ELVIA DIAZ
214. 5. MARCIAL ALONSO GONZALEZ
215. 6. CHRISTIAN ROA