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Article

28 Feb 2012

Author:
Ryan Abbot, Courthouse News Services

Union Leader Blames BP for His Torture

An oil worker and union leader claims right-wing death squads kidnapped and tortured him in Colombia at the behest of...BP. Gilberto Edgar Torres Martinez...sued BP in Federal Court. Torres claims BP recklessly hired the paramilitary thugs to protect its Colombian pipeline, and violated the Alien Tort Statute and the Torture Victims Protection Act by allowing them to falsely accuse him of being a guerilla and torture him... Torres claims BP's subsidiary, BP Exploration Company (BPXC), joined a group of multinational oil corporations...which operated a pipeline in the Casanare region of Colombia..."By 1996, BPXC had begun providing special training on lethal techniques to its counter-guerrilla soldiers and local police in the areas of BPXC's facilities," the complaint states. "BPXC also provided funding for boots, uniforms, food, shelter, health services, and security and communications equipment for soldiers."

Part of the following timelines

Colombian union leader files suit against BP in US court alleging he was tortured by death squads hired by company

BP lawsuit (re Casanare, Colombia, filed in the US)