Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an ambasadóir. It is always good to start with the positive. There are positive signs from what Mr. Osorio, has said about what is happening in Colombia, in particular to the peace process. We should acknowledge the role of Cuba - I know the Cuban ambassador is present - in facilitating those talks in Havana.

I would have been in touch with his predecessor over a number of human rights issues, one of which was the murder of César García and the community in Pitalito who had been displaced, and returned only to be displaced again. I know Colombia is a very dangerous place to be a trade unionist and there has been an alarming number of murders of trade unionists. More recently it was the imprisonment of Huber Ballesteros, the vice president of the Agricultural Workers Union. Some of the trade unions in Ireland have brought campesinos or other Colombian workers, trade unionist or women farmers to Ireland. I met them and know how difficult life is for them. I believe we have a right to peaceful protest but the peaceful protest of the women and the campesinos has been met with violence. I wonder about Mr. Osorio's comment about the role of the army and the police when people try to protest peacefully.

In regard to the trade agreements, is Mr. Osorio satisfied that the human rights clauses in the trade agreements are strong enough for the people of Colombia? I wish to raise questions on the role of multinational companies that are locating in Colombia, as well as on the issue of biofuels, which means that Colombian peasant farmers are losing their land which has fed their families for generations. Between the gold mining and the biofuels, the people are losing their land and moving into towns and cities, which is putting more pressure on services to feed people.

I am interested to hear what the ambassador thinks about the human rights clauses in those trade agreements.