On December 13, 2011, Rodolfo Vecino, president of the Colombian oil union USO (Unión Sindical Obrera de la Industria del Petróleo) was removed from office and fired. The employer is the semi-governmental Ecopetrol S.A. The actions against Vecino are in line with the 88 years' history of attacks on USO-officials.
Vecino had to give up his home in Cartagena because unknown people had tried to kidnap his children. He also frequently got threatening letters and email, and he was continuously harassed by paramilitary and governmental organizations.

This new wave of attacks against the USO union happened during a strike of temporary workers at Ecopetrol. The strike had begun in June 2011 and it was supported by USO.

Please send protest letters to Ecopetrol-president Javier Guitierrez: javier [dot] gutierrez [at] ecopetrol [dot] com [dot] coand CC: it to USO: usonal [at] yahoo [dot] es