Killer of Coca Cola worker imprisoned in Colombia

Issued : Monday 16 May, 2005

The killer of Adolfo Munera Lopez a Colombian Coca Cola worker and member of Sinaltrainal has been sentenced to 17 years in prison! The man charged with the murder is Adolfo Hickly Charris.

Though only a small step forward since it is the material rather than intellectual author of the crime this verdict adds weight to the claims of SINALTRAINAL against coke and is a testament to the power of national and international campaigning at forcing authorities to bring purportrators of these crimes to justice.

Since the boycott campaign has taken off in Ireland the Coca Cola has responded to the campaign by promising 10 million in a fund for victims of violence, there have been no more assasinations of Coke workers and the Colombian authorities have begun to take seriously the assasinations as evidenced through this sucessful conviction. The campaign is clearly having an impact but needs to be stepped up so that demands of Sinaltrainal are met and the right to join a trade union without fear of reprisal and intimidation in Coca Cola plants is fully respected.