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FLOC Organizer Beaten to Death in Mexico |
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Santiago Rafael Cruz, an organizer for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), was found bound and beaten to death April 9 in the group’s Monterrey, Mexico, office.
FLOC opened an office in Monterrey next to the U.S. Consulate there in 2005 to help members coming to North Carolina as guest workers in processing their visas, to fight corruption in the recruitment process and to develop leaders and train members. The office has been the target of break-ins with files and equipment destroyed.
Cruz, 29, who worked for FLOC for more than four years in the United States, had headed up the Monterrey office for less than a month, says Leticia Zavala, a FLOC organizer.
He was full of life, a great organizer. He had just gotten close to the church. He had become a born-again Christian only some months ago and he was looking for a new life.
FLOC has asked the AFL-CIO and Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s (D-Ohio) office to request the U.S. State Department press the Mexican government to conduct a thorough and speedy investigation to bring the killers to justice.
In a statement on its website, FLOC says:
Since our breakthrough agreement in North Carolina in 2004, FLOC has had to battle against anti-union hostility in the South’s “right-to-work” environment. We have put up with constant attacks in both the U.S. and Mexico—including having our office burglarized and broken into several times and a number of other attempted break-ins. Now the attacks have come to this.
To donate money to help transport Cruz’s body back to his home in Mexico City or help pay for his funeral and other expenses, send a check payable to: FLOC, c/o Santiago Tragedy Fund, 1221 Broadway St., Toledo, Ohio 43609.
10 Comments
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My sincere sympathy to the family of Santiago Rafael Cruz. He gave his life for what he believed in and at such a young age. I think it is dispicable that these type of tactics still go on. It seems as if unions are suppressed and corporations are protected. I find that very very unacceptable as should every decent American. This death was not random. It was a murder to call off people wanting to join and organize a union. This is an outrage!!
here we have a union member who is living his life to make a diffference in organizing farm workers. what would our late labor leader ceasar chavez be thinking?
Mexico has gun laws whereas only the criminals can protect themselves.
This story stopped me cold early this a.m. when I started checking my email. As we do our daily work in trying to build and save the labor movement in this country it makes one realize that we have much left to do, both here and throughout the world to protect workers from the immoral and corrupt policies of government and corporate America. What will labor in this country do to highlight this atrocity?
What a tragic loss! Unfortunately, the death of Santiago Cruz is emblematic of the state of our society. Conservatives spew anti-union, anti-immigrant and racist invective with no accountablitiy. Their hate motivates nothing but more hate, escalating violence and injustice … and finally THIS: the terrible loss of one more bright and enthusiastic young person. Yes … Cesar Chavez is crying now.
This is the ultimate price we pay for econonic justice.
Please push for a speedy conclusion to this murder.
peace and solidarity
Open Borders seems to be the best answer to a number of problems. People will come, work for awhile, and go home. Most immigrants don’t want to leave, and they don’t want to stay. Letting them work here and live in Mexico will raise that country’s income since the worker’s will spend more there–and here.
If people can come and go freely, there won’t be a need for a billion dollar fence and a billiion dollars worth of computers and other hardware. Instead, we could refund money to middle or lower income people who are on in years and can’t live by or take care of themselves.
I tend to agree with Cynical, post# 3. I feel there would be more of such violence against labor leaders in this country if not for our Second Ammendment rights to enhance our own protection. Never the less, it is a shame when good people pay the ultimate price, standing up in causes they believe in, to help raise the standard of living and working conditions of their fellow human beings. We are diminished!
It is time for all people to stand up for justice. To let this death go unanswered will be an indication of how far our society has declined. We have got to stand up for Santiago and all humans who daily pay the price serving others to improve their lives and the world. Working people deserve better. Contrary to corporate opinion, greed is not good and leads to crimes such as murder.
I am devestated. I was blessed to have recruited Santiago for the HEP Program at Fort Scott Community College where he earned his GED and US High School diploma.
During his time with us, I developed a strong friendship with a wonderful man. My wife and I witnessed to him of Jesus Christ. Right now I am crying unabashedly, this news hurts us deeply and now I have the very unpleasant duty to write his teachers in the program and inform them.
Ah Santiago….. Ah amigo mio, mi hermano.. Dios te bendiga y guarda te. Esperame alla, Santiago, en los cielos.