United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo Gerard and USW National Director for Canada Ken Neumann charge that a recent series of terrorist actions conducted by the Government of Mexico has undermined international efforts to bring an end to the more than four-year conflict between the Mexican government and the National Union of Mining, Metallurgical, Steel and Allied Workers of Mexico (Los Mineros).

Responding to the 6 June, 2010 invasion of the Grupo Mexico copper mine and facilities in Cananea, Sonora by over 2,000 federal and state police officers, backed by armed helicopters, the grave injuries of Los Mineros members Filiberto Salazar Anselmo and Rafael Angel Covarrubias Garcia, and the forceful eviction of Los Mineros Section 65 members who have been on legal strike since July 2007, Gerard says that the government of Mexican president Felipe Calderon has launched a “reign of terror” against working people.

In addition to the seriously injured individuals, there were at least three people (including one youth) hit by bullets or projectiles. Others were beaten and suffered the effects of tear gas. Police arrested five union members (Rodolfo Valdez Serrano, Everardo Ochoa Ballesteros, Luis Alonso Borbón Pérez, Luis Alonso Torres y Marcelo Lara López) and have search warrants out for various union leaders ... more