Do a google search on Guatemala and Coca-Cola and union, and you will find same death squadistra activity there in the 90's. Michael Pugliese
San Francisco Chronicle
July 30, 2001
URL:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/0 7/30/ED213030.DTL
Colombia's 'other coke' problem
THE UNITED STEELWORKERS of America and an American labor rights group have
filed a suit in the United States accusing Coca-Cola and other bottlers of
using right-wing paramilitary groups to intimidate and assassinate Colombian
labor organizers. Coca-Cola has denied these accusations.
Someone, however, is killing labor organizers in Colombia. Last year, 130
union members were slain. This year, 67 union members have already been
murdered.
Colombian human rights groups say that the United Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia, a paramilitary group, is responsible for these deaths. Intimidation
takes many forms. After the death of one labor organizer, a plant manager
handed out union resignation forms. Workers have gotten the message. From a
high of 1,300 members in 1993, the number of union workers at Coke plants has
dropped to 450 in 2001.
In Colombia, as in the United States, workers enjoy a legal right
to organize. But when they do, they face grave threats.
This is a serious violation of human rights, one that Congress
should consider before sending additional military aid to a government that can't -- or won't -- control its paramilitary forces.
©2001 San Francisco Chronicle