Here’s hoping that the people involved, up to the top eventually see the inside of a Columbian prison.

They asked for these guys to be murdered. This is the unavoidable consequence of targeting labor activists by right wing militias in Latin America.

Trial begins for killing of 3 union leaders

By Seattle Times news services

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jury selection began Monday for a civil trial in which U.S. coal company Drummond is accused of paying right-wing paramilitary gunmen to kill union leaders at a mine it operates in a war-torn corner of northern Colombia.

The civil case is believed to be the first to come to trial under a seldom-used U.S. law that dates back nearly two centuries, which lets foreigners sue U.S. corporations for their conduct abroad.

Drummond has denied involvement in the deaths of the three union leaders in 2001 near the sprawling open-pit mine it operates in Colombia.

The federal lawsuit was filed by the International Labor Rights Fund and Pittsburgh-based United Steelworkers union in March 2002 and seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the dead union leaders’ families.

The union leaders, Valmore Locarno, Victor Orcasita and Gustavo Soler had argued with Drummond about wage and safety issues.

Four witnesses have come forward claiming Drummond gave cash and cars to paramilitary fighters in exchange for killing the men.

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