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HR 191: Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from Noemi Sanin Posada, Colombian Ambassador in the
I am writing to update you on the most recent steps taken by the Government of Colombia to further safeguard human and labour rights in my country.
On 26 June, Congress passed and President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe sanctioned Law 1309/09, which strengthens protection for trade unionists and human rights defenders and increases sentences for crimes committed against them. According to the new law, the sentence for the murder of any trade union member has been increased from 20 to 30 years, in line with the crimes of genocide, forced disappearance, torture and forced displacement.
Additionally, last Saturday, President Uribe participated in a public ceremony to hand over compensation to 2,000 victims who have lost their families as a result of the violence of illegal armed groups. The Individual Compensation Programme was established by Decree 1290 of 2008 with the objective of providing reparation to those who have suffered human rights abuses at the hands of the illegal armed groups. During the ceremony, the President, in his capacity as Head of State, asked the victims for forgiveness for the violence that the country has suffered since the mid-1940s and expressed his commitment to the recovering peace through security with democratic values.
Allow me to offer the Embassy's support in providing any further information you may require.
6 July 2009 |