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Chilean trade union leader shot dead

28 February, 2013Chilean workers and trade unions have protested at the murder of a trade union leader and demanded truth and the punishment of those responsible.

On Thursday 21 February, Juan Pablo Jiménez, employee of the electrical engineering company Azeta, was shot dead as he was walking to his office at the company. He was found by colleagues, who took him to the medical service. However, Juan Pablo was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to the police who investigated the crime, Juan Pablo was killed by a bullet fired from the residential areas close to the company premises.

Juan Pablo Jiménez was president of N°1 union at the company and president of the Chilectra Federation of Subcontractors. On Friday 22 February, he was due to attend a hearing to continue denunciations of the company’s anti-trade union practices.

On 27 February, many trade union leaders and representatives of social and political organizations picketed the company, demanding “Truth and Punishment” of those responsible for killing Juan Pablo Jiménez.

Constramet, an-IndustriALL affiliated union said the working class has a moral duty to get involved in this fight and thanked all those who attended protests in Santiago and the regions. A march was held later that same day, at 7pm through the centre of the capital.

Horacio Fuentes, president of Constramet called on the authorities to investigate the murder of Juan Pablo.

IndustriALL Global Union has expressed its solidarity with the union leader’s family and with the Chilean trade union movement.