The NASUWT teachers trade union has written to the Colombian embassy in London over the murder of teacher Jorge Ortíz Hernández on 16 June.
Jorge was killed in Barranco de Loba in southern Bolívar, a region which continues to see high levels of human rights abuses. His bodyguard, who was appointed following previous threats against Jorge, was injured in the attack.
In a press statement, Colombia’s FECODE teachers union called on ‘the governor of Bolívar, Vicente Antonio Blel Scaff, to guarantee the life of teachers and social leaders in the department.’ FECODE, which is Colombia’s largest trade union, also said ‘we demand teachers are excluded from any type of violence, the school is a territory of peace.’ Teachers in Colombia face high levels of violence, with more than 25 murdered since the start of 2018.
In the letter to the Colombian ambassador to Britain, NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach wrote ‘[w]e urgently request that the Colombian government take every necessary measure to capture the killers of Mr Hernandez and to ensure that all teachers can fulfil their social roles free from the threat of violence.’
Read or download the full letter via the link below.