Alirio Uribe Muñoz completed the first leg of his Canadian tour in Toronto last weekend. Uribe spent three days in Toronto meeting with a variety of groups and individuals interested in his work and the work of his collective - Colectivo de Abogados Jose Alvear Réstrepo. Uribe met with groups including KAIROS, the United Church, members from the Canadian Auto Workers and United Steel Workers, Amnesty International, the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers, the Law Union of Ontario, various law firms, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and the Colombian Action Solidarity Alliance.
Uribe's presentations covered aspects of the current demobilization process of the paramilitary forces in Colombia, as well as the broader history and context of his human rights work. He provided a detailed and critical account of the hearing and amnesty process associated with the demobilization, the prospects for reconciliation, and the continuing tensions between groups in the process. Uribe's cases range from defence of families of students and professors killed during protests at university campuses to defence of displaced indigenous persons to defence of labour organizers. He provided an excellent overview of the Colombian justice system, including its unparalleled constitutional arrangement and protections, and the barriers to better access to justice there. His presentations and anecdotes met with strong interest and offers of support and action in solidarity from his Canadian counter-parts. We look forward to developing new projects with CAJAR in the near future.
Snr Uribe is current completing his tour in Montréal.