Miami, FL – Nidia Quintero, the leader of Colombia’s largest union of agricultural workers (FENSUAGRO), spoke to a crowd of 50 workers and activists at the South Florida AFL-CIO April 8. She came to speak in support of the peace process between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), taking place in Havana, Cuba. Quintero emphasized that a just and lasting peace is crucial for the Colombian labor movement to grow and flourish.

Audience members were visibly shocked when Quintero described the repression of trade unions by the Colombian government and its paramilitaries, “2000 members of FENSUAGRO have been assassinated by right-wing paramilitaries. The paramilitaries attack agricultural workers and drive them off their land so that the big landowners can control those areas.”

According to Quintero, “The root of the conflict in Colombia is that our economy and government is controlled by a tiny group of wealthy landowners and businessmen who violently repress anyone who opposes them.”

Despite the huge challenges they face, FENSUAGRO is a strong and vibrant union. Quintero showed the audience videos and pictures of her union fearlessly protesting in the streets of the capital city Bogota.

Her talk ended with a standing ovation from the room. Then event organizer Carlos Valnera asked about the role of Plan Colombia, the U.S.-funded war plan. Quintero responded, “75% of the money from Plan Colombia goes to the military. So the U.S. is directly funding human rights abuses and crimes against agricultural workers. The U.S. has also been paying for the spraying of herbicide on our lands. This has caused millions of people to be displaced and we are seeing increased rates of cancers amongst our workers.”

People left the talk with new perspectives. David Gibson of Peace Justice Sustainability Florida commented, “There are lots of similarities between the struggles of people in Colombia and the struggles we face here. Listening to Nidia drove home the point that the struggle for freedom and justice that we must wage is a global one.”

Miami was Quintero’s last stop on a speaking tour of the U.S. that saw her speak to labor unionists and immigrant rights activists in Milwaukee and Detroit, as well as at the Labor Notes conference in Chicago. During her talk, Quintero said, “I was moved by the struggles of immigrants and workers in this country and I will take back your solidarity when I return to Colombia.”

After the event, POWIR Organizer Cassia Laham said, “Nidia and the workers of FENSUAGRO are a true inspiration. We have so much to learn from their courage in face of repression and their dedication to fighting for a better world.” Attendees resolved to continue organizing in solidarity with the people of Colombia and to build a stronger labor movement here in the U.S.

People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism (POWIR), the Alliance for Global Justice and the local labor council organized the event.

#MiamiFL #Labor #Colombia #FENSUAGRO #NidiaQuintero #Americas

Quintero said, “Many past attempts at peace have failed because of right-wing violence. When the right wing feels the eyes of the entire world upon them, we hope this will make a difference.”

Quintero highlighted the importance of women and youth participation in movements for social change. She stated, “Students in Colombia are important in resisting privatization of education and Colombian youth are active in the Patriotic Marches.”

Quintero brought a statement of solidarity with her in support of the Chicago Teacher’s Union’s (CTU) one-day strike. The strike on the day of Quintero’s arrival saw over 25,000 people at the downtown rally and march.

The statement reads in part, “These struggles deserve backing. Therefore, teachers, students, parents and friends of the struggle, receive from Colombia, in the name of the rural communities and agricultural workers who have always strived and continue to strive for better conditions of life with dignity and peace.”

Kait McIntyre worked to bring Nidia Quintero to speak in Chicago. On the day of the Teachers Strike, April 1, McIntyre was the emcee and organizer of a 500-person solidarity rally at University of Illinois-Chicago. She explained, “It is the U.S. government that exacerbated the situation in Colombia. The U.S. trains death squads that target progressive people in Colombia, such as labor unionists, students and teachers. This event was special because it gave those progressive elements a voice.”

McIntyre concluded, “We are hopeful for the Colombian peace process. We must work for and demand that the U.S. stop funding the Colombian military and its death squads. Our movements, including trade unions, must show solidarity, push for peace, and ensure justice for all.”

#ChicagoIL #Labor #Colombia #FENSUAGRO #NidiaQuintero #Americas

El siguiente mensaje es una respuesta a una serie de preguntas enviadas a Huber Ballesteros por James Jordan de la Alianza por la Justicia Global. Ballesteros fue detenido cuando estaba trabajando como negociador para el paro agrario nacional de 2013 en Colombia y es acusado de “rebelión”. Él también sirvió en el comité ejecutivo de Fensuagro (Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria), la federación de trabajadores agropecuarios más grande de Colombia y la Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), la federación laboral más grande del país. Firme la petición para la libertad de Huber Ballesteros, sindicalista colombiano y preso político Haz clic aquí para ver el video de esta entrevista con Huber Ballesteros

Compañero James, es un gusto saludarlo y por su intermedio a los colectivos de solidaridad, al movimiento sindical y de los trabajadores estadounidenses y a todo el pueblo norteamericano.

Nosotros entendemos y sabemos la diferencia que existe entre la posición y la opinión del pueblo norteamericano y las posiciones y actividades reprochables de su gobierno no solamente al interior de los Estados Unidos sino a nivel del mundo entero. Por eso los prisioneros políticos expresamos un abrazo fraternal a todos los trabajadores y a todo el pueblo norteamericano.

Es un gusto para mí poder responder a estas preguntas que me envío el compañero James Jordan, hacerlo desde mi condición de prisionero político, de integrante del Comité Ejecutivo de la Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, de la Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria y del movimiento político Marcha Patriótica.

Sobre el tema de los acuerdos de paz y las posibilidades de que en el marco del acuerdo sobre el punto de víctimas que contempla también el tema de la Justicia Transicional para la Paz debo decir que efectivamente el acuerdo sobre justicia transicional del punto que hace poco se firma entre el gobierno colombiano y la insurgencia de las FARC-EP, este contempla la posibilidad de que una vez se firmen los acuerdos y se implementen los tribunales que aplicarán la justicia especial acordada entre las partes, los prisioneros políticos que en Colombia somos cerca de 10.000 divididos entre prisioneros políticos de conciencia y prisioneros políticos de guerra, tendremos la oportunidad de acceder a beneficios como el indulto para quienes estén en ese momento condenados y el de la amnistía y cesación del procedimiento para quienes a en ese momento nos encontremos aún en la condición de sindicados.

Sobre la segunda pregunta del cuestionario de James, de si fui detenido en el marco de un paro. Efectivamente me encontraba en Bogotá oficiando como parte de la Comisión Nacional de Negociación del Paro Agrario del año 2013 cuando fui detenido acusado de los delitos de rebelión y financiamiento al terrorismo, cargos que se establece a partir de un montaje judicial por personajes pagados por la Fiscalía General y la Policía Nacional para frenar lo que en ese momento empezaba a gestarse como uno de los paros campesinos más importantes de los últimos treinta años; desde ese momento me encuentro recluido en la cárcel La Picota en una detención a todas luces ilegal, donde en el proceso se han violado todos las condiciones establecidas al debido proceso y la necesaria y obligatoria presunción de inocencia que establecen tanto las leyes, la Constitución Nacional y el Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos.

Mi detención hace parte entonces de una política de represión y de judicialización de la protesta social en Colombia que se viene aplicando desde muchísimos muchos años atrás y que ha llevado a las cárceles del país a mucha personas, una gran parte de ellas puestas en libertad después de haber pasado dos, tres, o cuatro a hasta más años en la cárcel. Con la firma de los acuerdos de paz esperamos que esa concepción impuesta por el pentágono norteamericano de la concepción del enemigo interno y de la llamada doctrina de Seguridad Nacional con la que se educaron o adoctrinaron los oficiales de policía, del ejército, del DAS, los jueces y fiscales en el comando sur de los Estados Unidos y en la Escuela de las Américas en West Point* cambie, para que la lucha social y popular que necesariamente seguiremos desarrollando puesto que la firma del acuerdo de paz es apenas el comienzo de la construcción de una paz real y duradera con justicia social. Nosotros seguiremos dando porque nuestros derechos como trabajadores y como población colombiana seguiremos exigiéndolos a través de los mecanismos que nos permiten nuestra estructura organizativa sindical como es el paro, la huelga y la movilización.

Otra de las preguntas del cuestionario es ¿Si es posible que posterior a los acuerdos de paz, la izquierda y los sectores democráticos puedan alcanzar la unidad? Pues en ello se viene trabajando desde hace mucho tiempo, han habido diferentes propuestas y en particular en el momento venimos trabajando en el fortalecimiento de lo que hemos denominado el Frente Amplio por la Paz, la Justicia Social y la Democracia. Hemos dado pasos muy importantes en este sentido puesto que el Frente se ha convertido en un garante e impulsor de los Diálogos de Paz además de servir, por solicitud de las FARC-EP como veedor de la tregua unilateral que en varias ocasiones ha decretado la insurgencia y que por parte de ella se mantiene vigente. Ese Frente Amplio por la Paz aspiramos nosotros se convierta en el escenario de la lucha política y de la unidad hacia la disputa del poder a la burguesía en Colombia. ¡No es fácil! Existen obviamente diferencias de carácter político e ideológico como es natural en la izquierda colombiana y con los sectores populares que están organizados en sindicatos, en el movimiento indígena, en el movimiento afrodescendiente y otros sectores sociales, pero venimos trabajando decididamente para que el Frente Amplio sea ese lugar de encuentro de todas las inconformidades de este país y tengamos una fuerza que pueda disputar el poder a ese bloque hegemónico de la oligarquía que ha usufructuado el poder de nuestra patria por cerca de 200 años.

Sobre el tema de la UP, yo soy uno de los sobrevivientes del genocidio de la Unión Patriótica. Ingresé a ella siendo muy joven, he ocupado cargos de elección popular, en su momento elegido como representante de la Unión Patriótica y consideramos que efectivamente podría volver a darse, volver a repetirse después de la firma de los acuerdos, un genocidio. Que consideramos nosotros que puede frenar en determinado momento que eso se dé:

Uno, que el mundo de todas maneras ha cambiado mucho en los últimos 25 años y el tema de los derechos humanos se ha vuelto muy importante y que existen muchas organizaciones y colectivos tanto a nivel nacional como internacional que están pendientes de que se cumplan lo preceptuado en la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos, que ningún estado, ningún gobierno ni ninguna estructura de ese gobierno como las fuerzas militares tendrá hoy en día la impunidad frente a los crímenes de lesa humanidad perpetrados por ellos en el marco de la represión a la oposición política. Eso nos alienta a creer que aunque tengan la intención, no les será tan fácil y que obviamente también nuestra experiencia la que hemos ganado en la lucha por la defensa de los derechos humanos nos va a ayudar a que un episodio como ese no se repita. Pero digo de nuevo si sentimos el temor porque el gobierno no quiere discutir en la mesa de diálogos la estructura de las Fuerzas Armadas y de policía, no quiere discutir la doctrina de esas fuerzas armadas y de policía, y obviamente no se ha tocado aún por parte de la doctrina de la seguridad nacional que dio pie a la conformación de organismos paraestatales que nosotros conocemos como el paramilitarismo en Colombia. Es un riesgo, pero la paz merece ese riesgo y estamos dispuestos a asumirlo en aras de construir una nueva sociedad y un nuevo país para los colombianos.

Es verdad como lo manifiesta James en su nota de entrevista que el gobierno o los gobiernos de los Estados Unidos, o sea el estado norteamericano es un actor del conflicto colombiano, y un actor de primer orden es el principal auspiciador y, porque no decirlo, uno de los principales beneficiarios de la guerra en Colombia. Nosotros somos conscientes que ese no es el sentir del pueblo norteamericano, pero obviamente sabemos que son los intereses de las compañías transnacionales, que son los intereses económicos de la oligarquía norteamericana la que ha promovido la violencia en Colombia y no solamente en Colombia sino en toda América Latina y el mundo.

Aspiramos a que ese respaldo a la paz de Colombia que ha manifestado el gobierno de los Estados Unidos, se concrete no en ayudas económicas, no en ayudas tecnológicas, sino en un cambio de actitud y de respeto a la soberanía de los pueblos y en especial a la soberanía del pueblo colombiano para decidir sobre su futuro.

Y como lo manifiesta su compañero también en su nota, la solidaridad internacional jugará un papel importantísimo en el mantenimiento de la Paz y en la garantía de que se respete los derechos de los colombianos y en particular de quienes hacemos la oposición en Colombia. El movimiento sindical norteamericano, los colectivos que se han conformado en suelo estadounidense y que apoyan las causas de la paz en Colombia y en el mundo tienen un quehacer muy importante para ejercer veeduría y vigilancia no solamente frente a la intervención de su propio gobierno sino frente al gobierno colombiano para que cumpla con lo acordado, para que la no repetición del conflicto en Colombia devenga precisamente del cumplimiento de los acuerdos y del desarrollo de las transformaciones económicas, políticas y sociales que son necesarias para una paz justa, real, duradera y con justicia social para el nuevo futuro de los colombianos.

Agradezco a James esta oportunidad de esta entrevista, agradezco a todas y todos el haberme escuchado y extiendo desde la prisión de La Picota un fraternal abrazo a todas y todos ustedes, con la esperanza de que en algún momento al recobrar mi libertad pueda encontrarme con sus organizaciones sindicales y con sus dirigentes para agradecer personalmente todo el trabajo en solidaridad que han desplegado en favor de la libertad de los prisioneros políticos y del respeto a los derechos humanos en Colombia.

¡Muchas gracias y un abrazo!

Hubert de Jesús Ballesteros Gómez

#Colombia #Labor #PoliticalPrisoners #FENSUAGRO #HubertoBallesteros #Americas

The following message is a response to a series of questions posed to Hubert Ballesteros by James Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice. Ballesteros was arrested while negotiating for the National Agrarian Strike of 2013 and charged with Rebellion. He was also serving on the executive committees of Fensuagro, the country's largest federation of farm workers unions and the Unitary Workers Center (CUT), Colombia's largest general labor federation.

Sign the petition to Free Hubert “Huber” Ballesteros, Colombian Unionist and Political Prisoner Click here to watch video of this interview in the original Spanish

Comrade James, it is a pleasure to greet you and through you, the solidarity collectives, labor movement and workers of the United States and all the North American people. We understand and know the difference that exists between the position and opinion of the North American people and the reproachable positions and activities of your government not only in the interior of the United States but at a worldwide level. Therefore we political prisoners offer a fraternal embrace to all the workers and all the people of North America.

It is a pleasure for me to respond to these questions that Comrade James Jordan sent me, to do so in my condition as a political prisoner, member of the Executive Committees of the Workers Unitary Confederation (CUT), the National Unitary Labor Federation of Agricultural Workers (Fensuagro) and the Marcha Patriótica (Patriotic March) political movement.

Let me discuss the theme of the peace accords and the possibilities in the framework of the agreement concerning the point of victims. That also is concerned with the theme of Transitional Justice for the peace. I must say that effectively the agreement over the point of transitional justice recently signed between the Colombian government and the insurgents of the FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Peoples Army), contemplates the possibility we [political prisoners] will have the opportunity to access benefits such as pardon for those who may be in this moment sentenced and that of amnesty and cessation of procedures for those whose cases are pending. [This would happen] once they sign the accords and implement the tribunals that will apply the agreed special justice between the parties. In Colombia there are around 10,000 [political prisoners] divided between prisoners of conscience and prisoners of war.

The second of James' questions was whether I was arrested during the activities of a strike. Basically I was found in Bogotá officiating as part of the 2013 National Negotiation Commission of the Agrarian Strike when I was detained. I was accused of the crimes of rebellion and raising funds for terrorism. The charges were established as part of a judicial set-up by characters paid by the Attorney General and the National Police in order to put the brakes to what in that moment was developing into one of the most important farmers strikes in the last 30 years. From that moment I found myself confined in the La Picota jail in a detention that in all lights is illegal. All the established conditions of due process and the necessary and obligatory presumption of innocence that are so established by the law, the National Constitution and International Human Rights Law have been violated within this process.

My detention, then, is part of a policy of repression and criminalization of social protest in Colombia that has been applied for many, many years. It has brought many persons to the country's jails, many put at liberty after having passed two, three or four years or more in jail. We hope the signing of the peace accords might change the conception imposed by the North American Pentagon. By this we mean that of the internal enemy and what is called the Doctrine of National Security through which the Police, the Army, the DAS (Colombian intelligence service), the judges and attorneys are educated and indoctrinated in the Southern Command of the United States and in the School of the Americas. It will be necessary that we keep developing the social and popular struggle, given that the signing of the peace agreement is barely the beginning of the construction of a real and durable peace with social justice. We will continue doing this, will keep demanding our rights as workers and as the Colombian population through the mechanisms that they permit our organizational labor structure, such as the work stoppage, the strike and the mobilization.

Another of the questions is, is it possible following the peace accords, for the Left and democratic sectors to be able to reach unity? Since we come into this work with much experience, we have had different proposals. In this particular moment we come working to strengthen what we have denominated the Broad Front for Peace, Social Justice and Democracy. In this sense, we have taken very important steps given that the Front has converted into a guarantor and promoter of the Peace Dialogues. Besides this, through the request of the FARC-EP we serve as observers of the unilateral ceasefire that in various occasions has been decreed by the insurgency and that for their part remains in force. We aspire to convert that Broad Front for the Peace into the setting for political struggle and unity toward the dispute for power with the Colombian bourgeoisie. That is not easy! There obviously exist differences of political and ideological characters. This is natural in the Colombian Left and with the popular sectors that are organized into unions, the indigenous movement, the Afro-descendent movement, and other social sectors. But we come working diligently so that the Broad Front might be the place of encounter for all those who question the direction of this country and that we may be a force that can dispute for power with the hegemonic block of the oligarchy that has availed itself to the benefits of power in our country for around 200 years.

Concerning the theme of the UP, I am one of the survivors of the genocide against the Unión Patriótica (Patriotic Union). I entered it being very young. I have occupied popularly-elected positions, at the time elected as a representative of the Unión Patriótica. We consider that effectively the situation of a genocide could return, return to repeat itself after the signing of the accords. We must consider what in this current moment can stop this from happening again.

Number one is that, at any rate, the world has changed a lot in the last 25 years and the theme of Human Rights has come to be very important. There exist many organizations and collectives both at the national as well as the international level that are vigilant that what was specified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights be complied with. That is that no state, no government nor structure of this government such as the military forces will in this time have impunity when confronted with the grave crimes against humanity perpetrated by them in repression of the political opposition. This encourages us to believe that although they have the intention; it will not be so easy. Obviously, also, our experience that we have gained in the struggle for the defense of Human Rights is going to help us so that an episode like that may not be repeated. But I say again that, yes, we feel afraid because the government does not want to discuss at the dialogue table the structure of the Armed Forces and the Police, does not want to discuss the doctrine of these armed forces that gives rise to the formation of the para-state organisms that we know as paramilitarism in Colombia. It is a risk, but peace merits that risk and we are disposed to assume it for the sake of building a new society and a new country for the Colombians.

It is true what James expressed in his notes for the interview, that the government or governments of the United States, or, that is, the North American state, is an actor in the Colombian conflict, and an actor of the first order, the principal sponsor and, why not say it, one of the principal beneficiaries of the war in Colombia. We are conscious that this is not the sense of the North American people, but obviously we know that it is in the interest of the transnational companies, in the economic interests of the North American oligarchy that has promoted the violence in Colombia and not only in Colombia but in all Latin America and the world.

We hope that the backing that the United States government has demonstrated for peace in Colombia will not be concentrated in economic aid, nor in technological aid, but in a change in attitude and respect for the People's sovereignty and especially in the sovereignty of the Colombian people to decide their own future.

And as your comrade also stated in his notes, international solidarity will play a supremely important role in maintaining the peace and in guaranteeing respect for the rights of Colombians and in particular for those who form the opposition in Colombia. The North American labor movement, the collectives that have formed on U.S. soil and that support the cause for peace in Colombia and the world have the very important task of exercising watchfulness and vigilance not only towards the intervention of your own government but towards the Colombian government. It must comply with all that it has agreed to so that the Colombian conflict will not be repeated, but will end precisely because the accords are fulfilled. Likewise the development of the economic, political and social transformations that are for a just, durable peace with social justice for the new future of the Colombians.

I thank James for the opportunity for this interview. I thank all who have listened to me and I extend from the La Picota prison a fraternal embrace to all of you. I hope that some day when I regain my liberty I may be able to meet with all your labor organizations and their leaders to personally thank all for the solidarity work that you have shown in favor of freedom for the political prisoners and respect for Human Rights in Colombia.

Many thanks and a hug!

Hubert de Jesús Ballesteros Gómez

#Colombia #Labor #PoliticalPrisoners #FENSUAGRO #HubertoBallesteros #Americas