A. Philip Randolph Institute Opposes Colombia FTA

Shocked by timing of Bush Administration transmittal

WASHINGTON, April 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The president of the A. Philip
Randolph Institute expressed shock that President Bush sought approval for the
Colombia Free Trade Agreement at all, but particularly just three days after
the 40th anniversary of the murder of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther
King in Memphis, where he'd traveled to support striking sanitation workers.

"The callousness of this Administration attempting to force the Colombia FTA
on the American people at this time shows just how little Bush cares about
either human rights or civil rights," said A. Philip Randolph Institute
President Clayola Brown. The Institute is the national organization of black
trade unionists dedicated to racial equality and economic justice.

"Does Bush not know or care at all that union leaders in both Colombia and the
United States have vociferously protested passage of this FTA until the murder
of Colombian unionists ceases?" Ms. Brown added.

The Bush Administration transmitted the Colombian FTA to Congress, despite
efforts from Democrats for months to block that move because it forces
Congress to vote for or against the agreement within 90 days without changes.

Many Democrats and union leaders oppose the agreement because Colombia is the
most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists. More unionists are
murdered there than in all other countries of the world combined,
consistently, year after year. Last year, 39 were slain, and that was an
unusually low number. This year, the killings are occurring at a rate of one a
week.

Other union officials are tortured and threatened. Colombia does virtually
nothing to stop the violence because it doesn't prosecute the murders,
committed primarily paramilitary groups, but also by the military itself.
Recently, when a specially-appointed judge did convict military officers in
the murder of three unionists and punished with long sentences, the government
removed that judge from office.

"This is a country that is routinely ignoring human rights, civil rights, and
the rights of working people to organize to better their lives, and now Bush
wants to reward them with an FTA," said United Steelworkers Vice President
Fred Redmond, chairman of the board of directors of the Institute.

Ms. Brown agreed, "Long before free trade, Colombia needs to show that it can
provide its people with free speech and the freedom to organize without the
fear of death as a consequence."

SOURCE A. Philip Randolph Institute

CONTACTS: Clayola Brown of A. Philip Randolph Institute, +1-202-508-3712