M a r k D i l l e y: Guatemalan Banana Union Leader Murdered

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Guatemalan Banana Union Leader Murdered

Posted to the IUF website 25-Sep-2007

Masked gunmen murdered Guatemalan union leader Marco Tulio Ramírez Portela early in the morning of September 23 as he was leaving his home for work. Marco Tulio was secretary of sports and culture of the banana workers union SITRABI, which organizes Del Monte workers. His brother, Noé Antonio Ramírez Portela,is the union general secretary.

Tulio's murder follows a pattern of rising anti-union violence and institutional impunity in Guatemala. In July, the SITRABI headquarters was raided by uniformed soldiers using official vehicles, who demanded information on union officers and members. The union filed a full report with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Special Unit for Crimes against Unionists and Journalists.

The IUF has called on the Guatemalan government to immediately undertake a full and open investigation into this latest union assassination. You can support the struggle against immunity - Click here to send a message to the authorities. Copies of all messages will be automatically forwarded to SITRABI.