The Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG), in conjunction with War on Want, organised this meeting to highlight issues surrounding business and human rights in Colombia. Torres is a trade union leader who was abducted by paramilitaries in the Casanare region of Colombia.

The PHRG would like to thank PHRG Treasurer, Mark Durkan MP for chairing this meeting.

The key points raised by Torres:

• Because of his work as a trade unionist, Torres was kidnapped by paramilitaries and held for 42 days, 10 of which he spent in a flooded outdoor pit. During this time he was severely tortured.
• He has been forced to live in exile for his work defending the rights of communities and is unable to return to Colombia, as he remains a target for paramilitaries.
• Evidence given by his captors in Colombian courts stated that their orders had been given directly by oil-pipeline company Ocensa after Torres had called a workers’ strike, with the intention of killing him.
• British oil giant BP had a 15% stake in Ocensa at the time.
• Torres’ case is now being brought before British courts. Claims are being brought against BP for failing to take action to prevent the paramilitaries’ abuses.
• Torres has witnessed how the growing presence of multinational companies involved in the extractive industry has led to increasing violence and displacement of communities in Colombia.
• The Foreign Office’s business and human rights action plan is a positive step towards improving scrutiny of UK companies overseas, but more action is needed to reduce the high number of violations occurring on the ground.

The PHRG’s Treasurer Mark Durkan MP visited Havana the following week to engage with negotiators in the Colombian peace process.

The PHRG works closely with its partners to raise human rights issues in Colombia in the UK Parliament. We will continue to monitor developments in Colombia, as well as the FCO’s work on business and human rights.