CSR – Colombian Sponsorship Ruse?

Pacific Rubiales Energy is very influential in Colombia. It has become a state within a state, subjecting the country’s military and institutions to its own interests; it has used violence and repression to silence the protests of workers and communities. For good measure, it has offered up a few crumbs in the name of corporate social responsibility (CSR). 

The anti-union company has now become an official partner of the national football team, angering members of IndustriALL Global Union’s affiliate representing workers in the sector.

José Marin Moreno, communications secretary of the Unión Sindical Obrera de la Industria del Petróleo (USO), slams the move, saying:

“It’s outrageous that 250 relatives of the Colombian national team are enjoying a trip to Brazil at the company’s expense, while USO Vice-President Dario Cardenas continues to languish in jail for his efforts to ensure respect for oil workers’ rights. Pacific Rubiales and the Colombian government need to get this straight: non-renewable resources should be used to promote sustainable development, not to sponsor sports and entertainment!”

Persecution of trade unions continues in Colombia: USO leader detained

USO, an IndustriALL affiliate, has denounced the detention of Darío Cárdenas and announced it will report the matter to national and international bodies to request assistance in ending persecution of the union.

“It is clear that the government, state security forces and oil companies, particularly Pacific Rubiales Energy, have formulated a strategy to prevent, at all costs, USO from establishing a presence in new oil production areas in the department of Meta, as this is the biggest oil producing region in the country. This is another government attack on trade unionism and conforms to a central facet of this strategy: leaders who have not already been killed by the paramilitaries or army should be brought before the courts and imprisoned. We face a perverse alliance of employers, corrupt court officials and members of the security forces, who have joined together in a crusade to work against trade union freedoms and punish workers’ organisations for their activities”, said the union.

USO reiterated that the charges against its leader are spurious and are part of a campaign against the freedom of organisation that also involves the distribution of leaflets, defamation and threats against leaders and their families.

IndustriALL Global Union repudiates this regrettable persecution of our trade union colleague Darío Cárdenas, which constitutes a violation of trade union rights. IndustriALL Global Union extends its solidarity to USO and supports its actions in defence of the interests of Colombian workers.