Freed Colombian Political Prisoner comes to Ireland
Issued on December 08, 2011 at 04:18 PM
Rosalba Gaviria Toro, a former Colombian political prisoner, visited Ireland this week to meet with those who campaigned for her release, among them two second-level students from Kenmare.
She is a trade union and human rights activist who visited Ireland this week, as a guest of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and campaign group, Justice for Colombia Ireland. Detained and imprisoned, without trial, by Colombian authorities in March, 2009 she was released without charge in June 2011.
The head of the Women's Movement for Peace & Human Rights, Ms. Gaviria Toro arrived in Cork on Sunday December 4 and met with trade union activists and members of the Cork Council of Trade Unions.
On Monday 5th December she then travelled to Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, in Kenmare, Kerry where she was welcomed by Dermot Healy, the school principal and Anne Piggott, the teacher who had encouraged her students to get involved in the ICTU/JFC Ireland prisoner release campaign.
Rosalba Gaviria Toro with students Ellie Gudgeon and Annie Cooper from Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, in Kenmare, Kerry.Ellie Gudgeon and Annie Cooper, chose to get involved and take on the issue of Rosalba's release as part of their school project and which proved to be an instrumental part of her campaign. In fact Ms. Gaviria Toro wrote directly to the two girls from Villa Cristina Prison in Quindio , Colombia, stating: "I look forward to meeting you and thanking you in person."
More than 400 letters, signed by fellow students and teachers, which protested against her imprisonment without trial, were sent to the Colombian Embassy in London. Speaking through an interpreter during the visit, Ms Gaviria Toro said the letters were an extremely important part of the international campaign for her release.
"I think it was one of the main things that helped me, and visiting the school to express my appreciation is my main mission in Ireland," she said. A leading member of Fensuargo, the agriculture workers' union, she said prisoners in Colombia included trade unionists, student activists, community leaders, human rights defenders and academics who oppose the governing regime.
Later that day, Ms. Gaviria Toro travelled to Dublin where she was met by the President and Vice-President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, officers of Justice for Colombia Ireland and members of the ICTU Global Solidarity Committee. She spoke about the dire situation of trade unionists and human rights defenders in her country and gave her thanks to both organisations for their help in campaigning for her release. However the plight of her colleagues was never far from her mind and she tasked everyone not to forget the many trade unionists, including colleagues from her own union Fensuargo, who were being held without trial
Rosalba meeting members of Justice for Colombia [Irl] and Congress Global Solidarity
Members of the Congress GPC during their meeting with freed Colombian Political Prisoner, Rosalba Gaviria Toro
During her time here, Ms. Gaviria Toro also met with the Congress GPC and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs. Her main message is to keep the plight of Colombian trade unionists and human rights defenders to the forefront of people's minds worldwide. It is important that pressure remains on the Colombian government at international level to stop the abuse of human rights, to free political prisoners and to end anti-trade union violence. This can be done in a number of ways but it is important that Irish trade union leaders, members and activists take on the struggle in solidarity with their Colombian brothers and sisters.
Later on Tuesday evening, she addressed a packed public meeting on the difficulties facing trade unionists and human rights' activists in Colombia, in Dublin's Liberty Hall.
Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist, with more than 4000 activists and officials murdered in the last 20 years by right wing paramilitaries or Government forces. More than half of those murders have taken place since 1991.
Prisoners in Colombia include trade unionists, student activists, community and indigenous leaders, human rights defenders and academics - all imprisoned for their opposition to the Colombian regime. Most are jailed without trial, though in some cases people are convicted and face up to 40 years in prison for "rebellion".
Responding to reports of Rosalba Toro's recent visit (December 2011) to Ireland, the Colombian Ambassador claimed that "The government of Colombia is wholeheartedly committed to the protection, promotion and defence of the human and labour rights of every Colombian", more here. Read President of JFC Jack O'Connors response here
It is alleged that many people are shot and killed by the authorities - including ordinary peaceful civilians whose land and property is confiscated by the government.
To get involved in these ongoing campaigns and for more information about Colombia, go to the Justice for Colombia website.