Trade Union Declarationto before theForty-third
regular sessionof the OAS General Assembly

La Antigua, Guatemala, June 4, 2013

The labor movementin the Americas, represented byits continental organization, theTrade Union Confederation ofWorkers ofthe Americas(TUCA) and the Trade Union Technical AdvisoryCouncil(COSATE), met in Antigua,Guatemala on June 3 in order toconsolidatea set ofideas and recommendationson the theme, “Toward a Comprehensive Anti-Drug Policy in the Americas,” tobe submitted tothe authoritiesof the Member Statesof the Organization ofAmerican States that will meet inAssembly onthe4th, 5thand 6thdays of this monthin this city.

Peace, Human Rights, Democracy and theDevelopment of a Comprehensive Drug Policy;

It is clear to us the urgency to acknowledge the theme and the responsibility of the States in preventing the drug problem and the narco activity, which affect most significantly, affects the poorest and the workers of the Americas. We believe thatthe main cause ofthe violence, systematic violations ofhumanrightsand uncertaintiesassociated with the issue ofdrugs in the Americasis related primarily to the applicabilityand enforcement of30 yearsof neoliberal policieswhich have resulted in the dismantling of States and policies of socialexclusion. A weak state, unable to generatesustainable developmentand decent work,createspoverty, unemploymentandinsecurity, which arethe main causesof crime andincreased citizen insecurity. We affirm thatsocialinequalityisthe main driver ofcitizen insecurity. Socio-economic,territorial, demographic, gender and generational inequalityhave contributedsignificantly to anincreasein raids andinsecurity.

In additiontothis, thepolicyoptiontaken bysome Statesof insisting ona failedWar on Drugshas resulted inthe deaths of thousands of workers and justifiedan undesirableprocessofmilitarization inmany countriesin our region.

We believe thatdrug abuseis asocial and health problem, so itis necessary to strengthennational healthsystems, supportfor educationand social inclusion,particularly inthe areas of prevention, treatment and harm reduction,and todevelopjointly an evaluation ofsuch systemsthat allows us toidentify the actions neededto addressproblematic drugconsumptionfrom anon-repressiveapproachin the context ofhuman rights.

As a way to overcome the multiple crises and consequences of the long period of neoliberalism, we propose the need to promote sustainable development to promote productive development in harmony with the environment, and to place decent work as an engine of this development. There is an urgent need to develop comprehensive public policies that promote employment with rights, education, and health, ultimately promoting a society with equal opportunities and rights for all.

Thus we see that:

  • The proliferationof organized crimelinked to drug traffickingis a reflection ofsocialexclusion, which leads to the lossofhorizons andcollective projects.This makes it necessaryfor States to developpublic policiesin response, and brings with itviolence and crimetargetingvulnerable groups, especially young people.Therefore, the centrality ofcomprehensive education and awork culture which creates decent workand work with rightsis essential;
  • States should fully complywith theirobligationsto ensure accessto justice forallpeople according tointernationally establishedstandards;
  • States should createpublic policies to addressthedrug problemat all stages of the production and marketingchain, generating citizen security andrespectfor human rights;
  • It is crucial to recognizethat the particular problemsand side effectsofthe production, traffickingand sale ofdrugsbelong inthe sphere ofcitizen securityand not in that ofnational defense;
  • A participatory process of periodic reviewwithcivilsociety on policies designed todeal with inherent and related problemsassociated with the production, trafficking, sale and consumption ofdrugs andwith money laundering, should be established.

The insecurity from which peoples of the region suffer has expanded to such an extent that it will take time and sustained effort to obtain the desired results. Multiple complex and interconnected factors indicate that actions that tend to contribute to the demise of this scourge will haveto be systematic and intersectoral, and become a permanent part of State policy with wide participation of the social actors.

Comprehensive Policyon Drugs, citizen insecurityand anti-union violence;

There is evidence of many cases of violence against trade union leaders and their organizations in various countries in the Americas. InGuatemala more than 56trade unionists were killedin the lastthree years alone; thisis in addition to numerous acts of torture, kidnappings, raids and death threatsthat have createda culture of fearand violence.

Theviolationof the right tofreedom of association andcollective bargaining hasbeen a constant inthis period.The datagiveGuatemalathe shamefultitleofmost dangerous countryin the worldfor trade unionists, according to the InternationalTrade Union Confederation(ITUC).

Given this scenario, the labor movement is keeping a close watch onthe contextof profoundviolenceand, what is even worse, the impunity of crimes againstworkersinGuatemala. Of greatest concernis thatof the 56killingsadmittedby the Government inthe last six years, only in two casesit is recognized thatthecrime was motivatedbyunion activities. The other deathsareincluded amongthe so-calledcommoncrimessuch as“extortion,”“personal differences” or “crimes of passion.”

We supportsocialdialogue, but there is no timeto waste. Theinternational trade union movementand the families ofthe victimswant thesecasesto beproperlyinvestigated andthe culpritspunished.Despitecountlesspromises anddocuments signed bythe various governmentsin power,the truth speaksfor itself:no one, ever, has been convicted inGuatemalafor killing aunion leader.

In the context ofthe Organizationof American States, sincethe forty-firstGeneralAssembly held in 2011in the city ofSanSalvador, El Salvador, we have denouncedthe systemicanti-union violenceinGuatemala. Even more serious isthe situation ofwomen living with intimidation,looting, displacement, trafficking and otherserious problemssuch as gender violence, known as femicide. 261women were killed in Guatemalabetween 2000 and 2012, and in the first two months of 2013, 133 such caseswere reported. Therefore, we reject all forms of violence and harassment against women in the political, social and labor spheres.

We repudiatethe reversalof the judgmentby the Court of Constitutionality ofGuatemalaagainst the former dictatorEfrain RiosMontt, who was sentencedto 80years in prison forthe crime of genocideand crimes against humanity. Impunityinany formis a sourceof violence and insecurityfor citizensand peoples.We request thatthe OASuse allthe establishedmechanisms in the Inter-American Systemto preventthis coupfrom being perpetuated.

Final considerations;

Anycomprehensive drug control policymust, rather thancriminalizingyouth andexpanding theWar on Drugs, includestrengtheninginstitutionsfor the protectionof human rights.

We request that theGeneralSecretariatof the OAS provideongoing technical supportto States toachieve the purposes,objectives and actionsof the Declaration ofGuatemala.

We also request thata plan of actionis definedto supplementthe Declaration ofGuatemalaand to takeinto considerationthe proposalsset outby the labor movementin differentstatementsand scenarios, especially in the present Declaration.

We havecome here todemandresponsibility, commitment, efficiency and dialogue tomake our regiontheland of peacethat we alldeserve. We committo actively participating inthe designand implementation ofpolicies toensurepeace andsecurity,based on fullrespect forhuman and laborrights.

La Antigua, Guatemala, June 4, 2013