Three leading trade unionists were killed in Aragua, Venezuela, on the night of Thursday, November 27. One was the coordinator of the UNT in Aragua, another was the chair of the union at Pepsi-Cola and the third was heavily involved in health and safety issues. The three of them had spent the day helping out the workers at Alpina, a Colombian-based dairy company, where workers are in struggle and had been brutally attacked by the regional police. The outgoing regional governor, Didalco Boliviar, was elected on a Bolivarian ticket and then joined the opposition. He was ousted on Sunday 23rd, when PSUV candidate Rafael Isea won the regional elections in Aragua.

The method use to kill these three trade unionists is that of sicariato (political assassination by hired killers), commonly used in Colombia against trade union activists.

On Friday there were work stoppages and road blockades in Aragua and on Saturday thousands turned out to the funeral procession.

All this is happening in the context of increased provocations by right wing activists against the social programmes of the Bolivarian government (misiones) in those regions where the opposition won the regional elections (Miranda, Bolivar and Tachira).

Statement by Hands Off Venezuela

The Hands off Venezuela campaign has learnt news of the killing of 3 leading trade unionists in Aragua, Venezuela, on November 27th. Ricard Gallardo, Luis Hernandez and Carlos Requena, were killed at the end of a day in which they had been supporting the struggle of workers at the Colombian-owned Alpina company, facing heavy police repression. 

• We would like to condemn this brutal killing in the strongest terms.
• We would like to send our condolences and solidarity to the families, friends and comrades of the slain trade unionists.
• We would like to ask the Venezuelan government to make sure that those responsible for the killing are found and brought to justice and that there is no impunity for this crime

An injury to one is an injury to all!
Long live the Bolivarian revolution!
Long live international solidarity!

John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Dear NUJ general secretary, joint presidents of the Hands Off Venezuela campaign 

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