HRD Attack
Javier Vega SINTRABRINKS
Sources
Several union leaders from SINTRABRINKS, which represents workers at Brinks’ cash-in-transit operations in Colombia, have also received a series of death threats from a well-known right-wing paramilitarily group – “Águilas Negras”. On April 20, the president of the Bogota local union, Romer Diaz, received a WhatsApp message threatening his family and those of four of his fellow union officers – Rigoberto Bello, Javier Vega, Ronis Atencia, and Jose Claros. A previous message in October 2019 had warned the unionists to “be careful with their lives and lives of their families” and that “next time the threat will be hard-hitting and real.” This situation is especially alarming given the increased violence targeting activists in Colombia. Brinks has also been firing union leaders during the COVID health emergency in Colombia. On May 15 Brinks Colombia opened legal proceedings to terminate national union president Frank Gualdron, citing as their justification that he had posted images of a work-related protest on Facebook. Gualdron is among eight union officers who have been notified of their termination since Colombia declared a COVID health emergency in March, following six others in preceding months. Meanwhile, 14 union members – who lacked officers’ protections – have been fired outright, and 80 others have been singled out through ‘disciplinary procedures’, laying the groundwork for future termination.