I have just returned from a prayer for life. We gather to pray for life every time a person is assassinated in Barrancabermeja. We gathered with the family members of the victim and human rights organizations to pray, give witness, and accompany the family members. The prayer marks the 50th assassination this year in Barrancabermeja.
On Monday, May 15th, 2009, the president of the Union of areneros of Barrancabermeja was assassinated outside his home. His name was Herbert Sony Cárdenas. He was 43 years old. He leaves behind a wife and 3 children. Please continue to pray for them. Sadly, given the history of colombia, there will be no justice.
I have been living in Barrancabermeja for about 4 months and this is the 3rd union leader that has been assassinated. 2 in just the last two months. Colombia is the most dangerous place to be a union organizer. In the last 20 years there have been over 2000 assassinations of union leaders and only 80 people have been prosecutioned. However, President Uribe likes to say that this history is changing, that the problem of assassinations of union organizers is improving. Furthermore, The United States is reconsidering a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Colombia. Clearly, the United States government should not pass a FTA with Colombia when the colombia government fails to protect their workers human rights.
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