Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Good afternoon. I would like to thank you for receiving me and listening to what I have to say. I'll try to be brief in spite of the fact that I have many things to say. My name is Yessika Hoyos Morales, and I am the daughter of Jorge Darío Hoyos Franco, a trade unionist who wa

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The security situation has worsened in Colombia. It has not improved at all. The figures actually prove that. Last year, that is, in 2008, there were 112 extrajudicial killings that are being called “false positives”. It is not the paramilitaries or the guerrillas but the army

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I can tell you that's a false sense of security, because security has not actually improved in Colombia, and the figures on crimes can't actually be an evidence of this. Even though you say that in Medellin people are walking on the streets, there are many fears, probably as much

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Gracias.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, I think that one of the main reasons is fear. On the other hand, I also believe that the figures are being manipulated by the government and the media. It may be true that in some instances there are a lesser number of homicides, but not in terms of trade unionists, for exam

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, I respect Canada, and I'm sure the Canadian government is respected by many, because it is known for respecting human rights. However, if Canada ratifies this agreement with Colombia, it will be backing the regime of human rights violators. I would like to invite you all t

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  When I first heard that there was a possibility that Canada would sign a trade agreement with Colombia, my reaction, of course, was one of deep pain. I have always felt this deep admiration for Canada. I know Canada as a peacemaking country, as a country that is known throughou

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I understand what you say, and I understand that you may not wish to stop trade between the two countries. This trade has always existed and will most probably continue to exist, but is trade more valuable than human lives? At which point can we say this is the case? Because we'r

International Trade committee  Thank you. You are very kind. Good afternoon, everyone. I am very grateful to have this opportunity to address you all. In Colombia, the human rights crisis is ongoing and improvements are a long way off. Fundamental rights and freedoms are increasingly restricted in the cont

International Trade committee  Well, to be honest with you, I'm not aware of those polls you were talking about, but I am aware that the three union federations are against the free trade agreement, that indigenous communities are against the FTA, that peasants and agricultural workers are against the FTA, tha

International Trade committee  You're absolutely right, the Canadian government cannot influence the drug traffickers in my country. But you can influence the Colombian government, which is violating human rights as stated in the United Nations report. The human rights commissioner mentioned violations by the

International Trade committee  The free trade agreement with the United States has not been adopted as of today, precisely because of the violations of human rights still taking place in Colombia. Although it is claimed that huge progress has been made in the free trade agreement with the European Union, a num

International Trade committee  [Technical difficulty--Editor]

International Trade committee  We're talking about international organizations. We're talking about the human rights commissioner. We're talking about the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Just a month ago, they published a report where they expressed their concern because threats are ongoing, harassm

International Trade committee  In terms of the DAS scandal, in fact it has been proved how the security agents used the protection program, the trade unionists and human rights defenders program, to gather intelligence against them and to provide information on all the movements of these people. In other words