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<h2><b><font size=5 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:18.0pt'><a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/23469-colombias-unions-question-obamas-commitment-to-human-rights.html">Colombia's
unions question Obama's commitment to human rights </a><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=createdate><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Monday, 16 April 2012 19:29 </span></font></span><span
class=createby>Sarah Kinosian </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
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<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><img
border=0 width=545 height=250 id="_x0000_i1026"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01CD1CA7.513A3DE0" alt="Colombia news - FTA"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>After <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/economy/23432-us-colombia-trade-pact-to-take-effect-may-15.html"
target="_self">Sunday’s announcement that the U.S.-Colombia trade
agreement is set to take effect May 15</a>, Colombian unions doubt the
sincerity of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
government’s commitment to human rights.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>According to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the Andean country had
complied with the labor conditions set forth in Labor Action Plan, clearing the
way for the trade agreement to go into effect. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>However,
several prominent politicians along with <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
and Colombian labor unions disagree with this assessment and oppose the deal
due to the fact that <a href="http://colombiareports.com" target="_parent"
title=Colombia>Colombia</a> is still one of the most dangerous countries in the
world to be a trade unionist.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“They
continue to kill union workers, the labor cooperative model still exists,
laborers continue to be exploited and there is still 95% impunity for cases of
violence against trade unionists. They have barely completed the minimum. Of
the 37 points in the plan, the Colombian government has not even fully
completed two of the requirements,” Secretary General of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s
National Union of Food Workers (SINALTRAINAL) told <a
href="http://colombiareports.com" target="_parent" title="Colombia Reports">Colombia
Reports</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/04/02/obama-vows-opposition-to-colombia-trade-deal/">In
a 2008 campaign speech</a>, Barack Obama said he would oppose the Colombia FTA
“because violence against unions in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place> would make a mockery of
the very labor protections that we have insisted be included in these kinds of
agreements.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>That
year, 52 Colombian trade unionists were killed. In 2010, 51 workers were
murdered. Between 2011 and 2012 the total is 34.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“To
pass the FTA without completing the labor action plan is a way of saying that
the FTA is more important to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> than workers’ rights.
The North American government is thinking more about domestic politics, like
possibly the upcoming election or the need to provide markets for American-made
products in other countries like <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place>,” said a spokesman
of opposition senator Alexander Lopez Maya.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>He went
on to say that this weekend’s announcement was a negative signal to
Colombian workers and about Obama’s stance on human rights. “The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
needs to evaluate how serious they are about workers rights. If their support
is in fact just for show, then that’s what they demonstrated with this
summit. What are the actual politics of the Obama administration with regards
to human rights?” he asked.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Critics
of the agreement also question the benefit for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place>. President of the
Colombian Confederation of Workers, Tarsicio Mora Godoy, told this website,
“the reality is that Colombian companies are not able to compete with the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
Looking towards the future, there will be a greater crisis because this
agreement will create nothing but difficulties for us and we are going to see
the reality when the deal is put into effect; when people see that everything
that was promised is not true.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Obama
administration hailed the agreement as a win for human rights and the economies
of both countries. “We are making good on President Obama’s promise
to use a new approach to trade and stand up for the protection of workers in
the U.S. and around the world,” said Kirk.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:country-region w:st="on"><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>U.S.</span></font></st1:country-region> exports to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place>
have quadrupled in the last 10 years, reaching $14 billion in 2011. The U.S.
International Trade Commission estimates the agreement will increase U.S. GDP
$2.5 billion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/23469-colombias-unions-question-obamas-commitment-to-human-rights.html">http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/23469-colombias-unions-question-obamas-commitment-to-human-rights.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><st1:PersonName
w:st="on"><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>Gimena Sanchez</span></font></st1:PersonName><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>-Garzoli</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Senior
Associate for <st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region> and
the <st1:place w:st="on">Andes</st1:place></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><st1:State
w:st="on"><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>Washington</span></font></st1:State><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Office on <st1:place w:st="on">Latin
America</st1:place></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Tele: (202)
797-2171 ext. 205</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Cell: (202)
489-1702<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Email: <a
href="mailto:gsanchez@wola.org">gsanchez@wola.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Website: <a
href="http://www.wola.org">www.wola.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Skype:
WOLAColombia<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Twitter: wola_org <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>The
<st1:State w:st="on">Washington</st1:State> Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a
<st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> human rights organization
that promotes democracy and socioeconomic justice in Latin America and the <st1:place
w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place> through analysis and foreign policy proposals
informed by strong partnerships with civil society counterparts in the region.
Visit WOLA’s website to </span></font></i><i><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:italic'><a
href="http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=37"
title="http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=37"><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>sign
up</span></font></a></span></font> for more information or </i><i><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:
italic'><a href="http://www.wola.org/donatenow"
title="http://www.wola.org/donatenow"><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>donate now</span></font></a></span></font>
to help WOLA carry out its work.</i><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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