Posted: Friday, 23 September 2011

The Globe and Mail newspaper carried an editorial on September 22 praising the human rights record of Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos. The editorial contains no evidence to back up its praise of the former defence minister who became president. CLC President Ken Georgetti wrote this letter to set the record straight.

The Editor
Globe and Mail

Your editorial about the human rights record of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (Colombia’s new course) is wishful thinking. Your only evidence is a quote from an official from the Canadian Council for the Americas. Would this be the same organization that has just given him an award and is selling tickets for $1,000 and more to a gala dinner to mark the occasion? Amnesty International, an organization that has far more credibility on human rights issues, says promises by Santos to put a priority on improving human rights have yet to be acted upon. Despite claims that the political system has changed, the International Trade Union Confederation reports that 51 trade union leaders were assassinated in 2010, with 218 forced disappearances, 279 attacks, 4,960 death threats and 1,730 forced displacements. Human rights abuses in Colombia continue to be staggering in their scale. Our government has signed a free trade deal with the Colombian government and is constantly singing its praises. That does not mean that our media should join the choir.

Ken Georgetti
President,
Canadian Labour Congress