Stop killer Coca-Cola
People’s Tribunal prepares verdict in Colombia
By
LeiLani Dowell
Bogotá, Colombia
Published Jul 26, 2008 2:51 PM
July 21—U.S. activists, on a delegation organized by the U.S./Cuba Labor
Exchange and the International Action Center, joined 1,700 others here today
for the opening of the Permanent People’s Tribunal in Colombia.
|
In New York July 22, one of many solidarity actions with People’s Tribunal in Colombia.
WW photo: Anne Pruden
|
|
This third and final session of the tribunal, which meets from July 21-23, is
examining the role of multinational corporations, with the assistance of the
Colombian government and paramilitary organizations, in the extreme repression
of Colombian social movements, including trade unions, students, Indigenous and
peasants.
Participants from around the globe will hear testimony from survivors, lawyers
and researchers over the next three days.
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, an Argentinean and 1980 Nobel Peace Prize winner,
is presiding over the panel of judges who will examine the evidence brought
before the tribunal.
Prior hearings have examined how foreign-owned agribusinesses have affected
farmers and Indigenous peoples; the mining oil companies’ role; the
impact of transnational corporate-controlled development on biodiversity and
the environment; and oil companies and human rights violations.
In addition to the repression—including massacres, kidnappings,
disappearances and death threats—other abuses to the Colombian people
have been noted, such as the elimination of whole Indigenous communities,
destruction of the country’s biodiversity and the control of prices
through speculation.
Testimony was presented today by Sinaltrainal, the National Union of Food
Industry Workers, on the persecution of trade unionists by the Coca-Cola and
Nestlé corporations. Other speakers represented the Miners Federation of
the Bolivarian South, the National Union of Public Service Workers, the
National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, the “Jose Alvear
Restrepo” Lawyers’ Collective and more.
On July 22, tribunal participants will participate in a march and then hear
presentations from representatives of Bolivia, Venezuela and
Ecuador—showing that the phenomenon of exploitation by the multinational
corporations extends throughout Latin America.
In a show of solidarity with the tribunal, simultaneous actions will be held
the same day throughout the U.S. Amy Velez, an organizer of Comuner@s, a
grassroots organization of Colombians living in the U.S., says her group is
working throughout New York City to organize for an event on July 22.
Velez told the International Action Center, “For at least a few hours on
Tuesday, we will be showing our utmost solidarity with our sisters and brothers
in Colombia. We will be assembling in front of the offices of Coca-Cola because
of the documented role that Coca-Cola is playing with the death squads in
Colombia. These death squads not only kill our brothers and sisters but they
work with Coke to break up unions.”
The delegation of U.S. activists will remain in Colombia after July 23 to
conduct interviews with workers and members of various social movements, with
the goal of returning to the U.S. to help build the movement in solidarity with
Colombia.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email:
[email protected]
Subscribe
[email protected]
Support independent news
DONATE