[Lasnetmail] Trade Union Leader from FENSUAGRO Murdered in Colombia

[Lucho]

Trade Union Leader Murdered in Colombia

10/05/2007 | News 
The Colombian Agrarian Federation Fensuagro - which has nearly 80,000 members - reports it has been victim of a new police attack. Fensuagro issued a communique reporting the murder of leader Miguel Gomez Porto by Marines, when he was walking towards his father's home.
36 year-old Gómez Porto, had been victim of many persecutions by the Marines, such as his arbitrary detention in 2004 and the search of his home in 2005. Finally, on Thursday May 3rd, the marines decided to kill him.
After they killed him, the marines took Gomez Porto's cell phone to call his family and told them about the murder. When his family arrived on the scene they were not allowed to see the body, which was taken hours later dressed in camuflage suit with three grenades and a fusil, to make him look like an insurgent.
Gómez Porto was the chair of the Trade Union Federation of Small-Scale and Middle-Scale Farmers from Sucre Department (SINDAGRICULTORES, a Fensuagro affiliate). He was the president of the Association of the Community Action Board of pavements of Montes de Maria in Ovejas Municipality, he belonged to the Federation of Community Actions of Sucre Department, and he was also a member of the human rights committee.
His murder is another human rights abuse perpetrated by the National Army and the Marines, who have targeted peasant leaders and members of communities of Montes de María.
Besides this incident, Fensuagro also denonced the arbitrary detention of Jose Piñeres, an 83 year-old member of SINDAGRICULTORES, who has been imprisoned since April 30th. In both cases, the demand of the federation is simple: they are asking for justice. 

Sources
Vía Campesina communiqué
http://www.arlac.be/

www.latinlasnet.org
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