
WASHINGTON β The U.S. Department of Laborβs Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee made the following statement regarding the Oct. 4, 2023, murder of Doris Lisseth Aldana CalderΓ³n, a union leader in Guatemala:
βThe U.S. Department of Labor condemns the brutal murder of Doris Lisseth Aldana CalderΓ³n, a trade union leader at a banana packing facility in Guatemala and member of SITRABI, the Izabal Banana Workersβ Union representing 3,000 workers.
βWe extend our sincere condolences to Doris Aldanaβs family and friends, to SITRABI, as well as to the wider community of labor rights advocates in Guatemala who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside her in the pursuit of justice. We call on Guatemalan authorities to thoroughly investigate Aldanaβs murder, including possible links to her union activity, and to hold the perpetrators β including the intellectual authors of the attack β accountable. Workers have a right to form and join unions, and unions have a right to operate free from violence, threats and harassment. These rights must be protected. Through our ongoing work in Guatemala, the U.S. Department of Labor is committed to engaging locally, including with the Guatemalan government, to protect union leadersβ human and labor rights.β