The Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Proposing a NAFTA-style trade deal is bad enough — proposing one with the deadliest country in the world to be a union member is an outrage. The number of assassinations of Colombian trade unionists increased from 39 in 2007, the year the FTA was signed, to at least 51 in 2010. Things are getting worse, not better. Please act now to oppose the Colombia FTA and other pending trade deals.

Resources for Opposing the US-Colombia FTA Latin America Working Group, July 2011

Letter Calling for Congressional Investigation on Potential Misuse of U.S. Aid, USW and CWA, August 24, 2011

Dear Colleague on Afro-Colombian Rights Congressman Hank Johnson, July 6, 2011

Letter on Unionists Assassinated So Far This Year United Steelworkers, June 29, 2011

List of 104 Labor and Human Rights Activists Murdered During the First 10 Months of the Santos Administration Justice for Colombia, June 2011

Civil Society Letter (430 groups) Opposing the Colombia FTA WOLA, June 2011

Letter Opposing the Colombia FTA Communications Workers of America, July 5, 2011

Letter Opposing the Colombia FTA Service Employees International Union, July 5, 2011

Letter Opposing All Three FTAs United Steelworkers, June 20, 2011

Letter Opposing All Three FTAs International Brotherhood of Teamsters, June 15, 2011

As Goes Telefonica: The Colombia FTA & Action Plan Communications Workers of America, June 2011

Colombia Telefonica Case Study Communications Workers of America, May 2011

The Colombia FTA: Bad for the Environment Friends of the Earth, May 2011

Colombia’s Displacement Crisis in 2010 Latin America Working Group, April 25, 2011

Religious Groups Oppose Colombia FTA Interfaith Working Group on Trade & Investment, April 15, 2011

Obama’s “Labor Action Plan” for Colombia Woefully Inadequate USLEAP, April 13, 2011

Action Plan with Colombia Does Not Resolve Ongoing Human Rights Crisis TransAfrica Forum, April 8, 2011

Colombia “Action Plan” Not Good Enough Citizens Trade Campaign, April 6, 2011

Talking Points on Violence Against Trade Unionists and Impunity USLEAP April 2011

Violence Against Colombian Trade Unionists: Fact vs. Myth USLEAP, March 2011

Colombia: Falling Further Behind in the Fight Against the Impunity of Anti-Union Violence USLEAP, December 22, 2010

The Likely Impact of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement on Colombian Workers Demos, May 18, 2010

Truth Behind Bars: Colombian Paramilitary Leaders in U.S. Custody

Systematic Violence Requires Strategic Justice: Ongoing Impunity in Assasinations of Trade Unionists in Colombia USLEAP 2008 Annual Impunity Report

Ten Years of “Plan Colombia”: Bogota leases military real estate to the Obama Administration Council on Hemispheric Affairs, August 5, 2009

Parlimentary DeclarationEU, October 23, 2008

Free Trade with Colombia: McCain’s Misguided Campaign Council on Hemispheric Affairs, June 27, 2008

AFRO-COLOMBIANS: AUTONOMOUS RIGHTS UNDERMINED: Systematic Repression and the U.S.– Colombia Free Trade Agreement TransAfrica Forum, May 1, 2008

So Far to Go: Human Rights in Colombia Latin America Working Group Education Fund, April 2008

Workers’ Rights, Violence and Impunity in Colombia AFL-CIO, January 9, 2008

Trade Deficit in Food Safety Global Trade Watch, July 2007

Colombia: Killings, arbitrary detentions, and death threats — the reality of trade unionism in Colombia Amnesty International, July 3, 2007

Colombia Fact Sheet: Murder and Impunity of Colombian Trade Unionists Under Uribe USLEAP, December 2009

Opposing the FTA with Colombia: Talking Points on Violence Against Trade Unionists and Impunity USLEAP, November 2009

General Background on the Colombia FTA Citizens Trade Campaign, April 2008

Colombia FTA: Background on Investor Rights Citizens Trade Campaign, April 2008

The Colombia FTA: Background on Agriculture Citizens Trade Campaign, April 2008

The Colombia FTA: Background on Illegal Drug Production Citizens Trade Campaign, April 2008

The Colombia FTA: Impact on Food and Food Safety Citizens Trade Campaign, April 2008

The Colombia FTA: Environmental Concerns Citizens Trade Campaign, April 2008

Violence Against Colombia Trade Unionists and Impunity: How Much Progress Has There Been Under Uribe? USLEAP, April 2008

Fact Sheet: Murders of Trade Unionists and Impunity Under UribeUSLEAP, April 2008

Talking Points: Colombia’s Horrific Labor Abuses Are Among a Long List of Reasons to Oppose the Colombia FTA Public Citizen, June 5, 2008

Why We Oppose the Colombia FTA AFL-CIO

Colombia Continues to be a Deadly Country in which to be a Trade Unionist AFL-CIO

Colombian Unionists In All Sectors Oppose the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement AFL-CIO

Workers’ Rights in Colombia AFL-CIO

IBEW Legislative Fact Sheet on Trade August 2007

U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Witness for Peace Fact Sheet

FLOWERS: Labor Rights Violations, Pesticide Poisoning, and Poverty Wages Witness for Peace Fact Sheet

Colombia: Violence Against Workers Witness for Peace Fact Sheet

Colombia: Forced Eradication and Fumigation of Coca Crops Witness for Peace Fact Sheet

U.S. Multinationals in Colombia: Profits and Plundering Witness for Peace Fact Sheet

Past Congressional Statements

Miller and McGovern Letter to USTR on Attempted Assassination of Labor Rights Lawyer Hernan Dario May 18, 2010

Miller to Uribe: Colombia Must Improve Investigations and Prosecutions of Labor Killings Education & Labor Committee, Congressman George Miller, Chairman, September 15, 2008

Hare opposes yoking trade assistance, Colombia Press release submitted by Rep. Phil Hare, Quad-Cities Online, July 22, 2008

Brown, Senators Call on Bush Administration to Address Ongoing Violence in Colombia Office of Senator Sherrod Brown, July 1, 2008

Michaud Joins U.S. and Colombian Labor Leaders to Speak Out Against Colombian FTA Office of Congressman Mike Michaud, May 14, 2008

Economic Relief Must Come First Congresswoman Betty McCollum, April 15, 2008

Colombia FTA Statements Office of Congressman Mike Michaud, April 10, 2008

Statement on Suspension of Fast Track Procedures for Consideration of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Office of Congressman Tom Allen, April 10, 2008

Standing Up for Workers, Patrick Murphy Opposes Colombia Trade Deal Office of Congressman Patrick Murphy, April 10, 2008

Solis Statement on Colombia Free Trade Agreement Office Congresswoman Hilda Solis, April 10, 2008

McCollum: Economic Relief for Americans Must Come before President’s Colombia Trade Deal Office of Congresswoman Betty McCollum, April 10, 2008

Kaptur Introduces Bill Opposing Colombia Trade Deal Office of U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur, April 8, 2008

Blumenauer Issues Statement on U.S.-Colombia FTA Office of U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer, April 7, 2008

Dorgan: Bush’s Trade Policies Have Failed; Colombia Free Trade Agreement Is More of the Same Office of Senator Byron Dorgan, April 7, 2008

Statement on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Office of Congressman Tom Allen, April 7, 2008

Senator Sherrod Brown Calls Proposed Colombian FTA Betrayal Of Middle Class Office of Senator Sherrod Brown, April 7, 2008

Snowe Voices Opposition to U.S.-Columbia Free Trade Agreement Office of U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, April 7, 2008

Sutton Statement on U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Office of U.S. Representative Betty Sutton, April 7, 2008

Past Organizational Statements

Colombia FTA and Trade Union Violence US LEAP, December 21, 2009

USTR Receives Public Comments Concerning the Pending Colombia and Korea Free Trade Agreements

AFL-CIO Comments to USTR on the Colombia FTA

TransAfrica Forum comments to USTR on Colombia FTA

CTC Comments to USTR on the Colombia FTA

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney On Increase of Violence Against Colombian Trade Unionists, September 10, 2008

Hoffa Blasts McCain Trip to Colombia, Refusal to Address Human Rights Issues Teamsters Press Release, July 2, 2008

Letter to President Bush Concerning Violence in Colombia and the FTA Sens. Sherrod Brown, Byron Dorgan, Robert C. Byrd, Debbie Stabenow, Bob Casey, and Sheldon Whitehouse, July 1, 2008

Colombia: McCain’s Visit Should Focus on Democracy and Rights Human Rights Watch, June 30, 2008

Letter to Senator John McCain Human Rights Watch, June 27, 2008

Extradited Paramilitary Leaders and the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, Human Rights Watch, May 20, 2008

[Letter to House]

[Letter to Senate]

U.S. and Colombian Church Leaders Call on Congress to Substantially Reduce Military Aid, to Strengthen Human Rights Protections and to Vote No on the U.S.-Colombia FTA May 20, 2008

Oppose the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, Amazon Watch, Earthjustice, Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace USA, Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network, May 15, 2008

[Letter to House]

[Letter to Senate]

Letter to the House of Representatives on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement Teamsters, April 29, 2008

CTC Supports Reasserting Congressional Authority Over Trade Citizens Trade Campaign, April 11, 2008

NFU Statement: Colombia FTA is Wrong Move at Wrong Time National Farmers Union, April 8, 2008

Domestic Manufacturers Say Colombia Deal Will Worsen Recession United States Business and Industry Council, April 8, 2008

US: Reject Colombia Free Trade Deal Human Rights Watch, April 7, 2008

Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney On U.S. – Colombia Free Trade Agreement April 7, 2008

The US-Colombia Unfair Trade Agreement: Just say No! MADRE, April 1, 2008

Voting Against the FTA is the right decision Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Polo Democrático Alternativo, March 24, 2008

Statement on the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, March 12, 2008

Religious Organizations Oppose U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment, March 7, 2008

Letter to the House of Representatives on the Rule Change Teamsters, April 10, 2008

NDN President Rosenberg Challenges Bush’s Strategy on U.S.-Colombia FTA NDN, April 8, 2008

USW Calls on Congress to Reject Colombia FTA United Steelworkers, April 07, 2008

Teamsters Will Strongly Oppose Colombia Trade Agreement: Hoffa Says Bush Again Turns His Back On Workers Teamsters, April 07, 2008

Letter to President Uribe denouncing recent violence against human rights defenders and labor unionists Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA, Refugees International, Lutheran World Relief, Washington Office on Latin America, Jesuit Conference, Latin America Working Group, Center for International Policy, U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project, US Office on Colombia, Mercy Corps, Fellowship of Reconciliation, United Methodist Church: General Board of Church and Society, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, Center for Justice and International Law, Center for Justice and International Law, Witness for Peace, Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Central Committee, Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Colombia Human Rights Committee, Church of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, March 26, 2008

Letter to Senate saying the AFL-CIO is “unalterably opposed” to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement AFL-CIO, November 7, 2007

Letter to House saying the AFL-CIO is “unalterably opposed” to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement AFL-CIO, November 7, 2007

Oppose Expansion of NAFTA/CAFTA National Latino Congreso, October 6, 2007

The United States Needs a New Pro-Environment Trade Policy Amazon Watch, American Lands Alliance, ForestEthics, Greenpeace USA, Rainforest Action Network, October 5, 2007

Afro-Descendants in Peru and Colombia Oppose the Free Trade Agreements with the United States November 7, 2006

Cover Letter AFRODES-USA, AFSC, WOLA, United Church of Christ, Global Rights, TransAfrica Forum, November 13, 2006

Also visit our Colombia FTA News Archive