Excmo. Sr. Presidente Gustavo Petro Urrego President of the Republic of Colombia contacto@presidencia.gov.co | Sra. Luz Adriana Camargo Attorney General of Colombia |
September 11, 2025
Dear President Petro and Attorney General Camargo:
We are deeply concerned for the safety of union leaders Paula Andrea Rojas Franco, Daniela Salazar Ospina, and Alicia Cardiles. All three women are active in the Women and Diverstiy Caucus of SINALTRAINAL (National Union of Workers in the Agri-Food System).
Colombia’s Central Trade Union federation (CUT) has condemned the harassment and threatening actions towards these three women, two of whom work for Nestlé. SINALTRAINAL has been campaigning for fairer conditions and an end to discriminatory practices towards its members at Nestlé’s four plants in Colombia. It is calling on the company to end anti-union practices, including unfair dismissals of unionized workers.
June14: Paula Andrea Rojas Franco was followed, photographed and video recorded by two men on a motorcycle as she returned home from the company plant in Dosquebradas, Risaralda Department.
July 18: Daniela Salazar Ospina (from the same plant in Dosquebradad) was also followed and recorded by unidentified men on a motorcycle.
July 25: Alicia Cardiles Fontalvo was forced to seek police help when two masked men followed her after she left a trade union meeting in Cartagena, Bolívar Department.
Paula Rojas and Daniela Salazar are involved in a labor dispute with Nestlé. Alicia Cardiles has led efforts to denounce gender-based abuses and human rights violations at her employer, Seatech International Inc. (producer of Van Camps tuna). We fear for their safety because there has been a broader pattern of violence against SINALTRAINAL. On April 28, Walberto Quintero Medina, vice president of the union branch in Valledupar, Cesar Department, was in a public establishment when armed men fatally shot him six times in the back.
We urge that authorities in Colombia
(1) conduct transparent investigations into the aforementioned incidents targeting Paula Andrea Rojas Franco, Daniela Salazar Ospina, and Alicia Cardiles Fontalvo, publish the results, and bring those responsible to justice
(2) implement protection measures for these three union leaders, in strict accordance with their wishes and in consultation with SINALTRAINAL
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai Christine L. Stonebraker-Martínez
Co-Coordinators
copies:
Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo, Ambassador of Colombia to the US ~ via email
José Luis Caballero Ochoa, Rapporteur for Colombia , Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ~ via email
Roberta Clarke, Rapporteur on the Rights of Women and Human Rights Defenders, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ~ via email
UN: Scott Campbell, Representative in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ~ via email
US Embassy: John McNamara (Chargé d’Affaires); Adam Levy (human rights) ~ via email
US State Department: Desk Officer for Colombia ~ via email
US Senators from Ohio: Husted and Moreno ~ via email
US Representatives from Ohio: Beatty, Brown, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Miller, Rulli, Sykes ~ via email
06 AUG 2025_CUT_Colombia
