International Trade Union Confederation
Guatemala: election of Alvaro Colom brings new hope
Alvaro Colom began his term of office as president of Guatemala on Monday 14 January. In a letter sent to the new
president the same morning the ITUC underlined the need for strong leadership if he is to win the fight for social
inclusion and against corruption, narcotrafficking and discrimination.
Guatemala is a country plagued by violence and impunity. The ITUC is organising an international conference on the role
of trade union organisations in the fight against impunity, to be held from 29 to 31 January 2008 in Guatemala City, and
has invited President Colom to inaugurate it. The conference will bring together key political, trade union and social
figures from Guatemala and Central America, along with representatives from the regional and international trade union
movement. The aim is to develop and implement political and trade union strategies to promote core labour standards, to
strengthen the unions' capacity to fight impunity, and to ensure that the murders of trade unionists are fully
investigated and that those responsible are brought to justice.
The election of Alvaro Colom as the president of Guatemala has brought renewed hope. The international trade union
movement, headed by the ITUC, will keep a close watch on the situation of workers in the country. "The workers of
Guatemala are entitled to exercise their trade union rights," said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder, in conformity with
the eight Core Conventions of the ILO signed but not fully respected by Guatemala, as shown by the unyielding attacks on
trade unionists, the violation of their rights, their abduction and murder. The year 2007 alone saw the murder of Pedro
Zamora, General Secretary of STEPQ, in January, two trade unionists from FESTRI, in February, and Marco Tulio Ramírez of
SITRABI, in September. The year was closed with a heavily armed attack, on New Year's Eve, against the home of trade
union leader Carlos Enrique Mancilla Garcia, Labour and Disputes Secretary of the CUSG (Confederación de Unidad Sindical
de Guatemala), affiliated to the ITUC.
The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 156 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates. Website:
http://www.ituc-csi.org.
ENDS