Railway Union head José Pedraza’s stood trial today for the murder of Workers’ Party activist Mariano Ferreyra, who was shot dead after clashes between outsourced Roca train line workers and union members almost two years ago.
Another sixteen, amongst unionists and police officers, are being accused for different levels of participation in the events leading up to Ferreyra’s murder. Over 380 witnesses are scheduled to testify in a case that has caused nationwide commotion.
The trial officially began on Monday at the Comodoro Py courts, downtown Buenos Aires, with strong police presence in order to avoid possible clashes with protesters.
Unionists called on Sunday for a vigil in front of the court. Members of the Socialist Movement and Workers’ Party gathered in the Tribunales neibourhood last night asking for justice.
Ferreyra was murdered on October 20th, 2010 in the City neighbourhood of Barracas, after the group he was a part of was attacked. Railway Union head José Pedraza was indicted as the mastermind of the crime.
The activists death opened a public discussion over the unions’ modus operandi.
Mariano Ferreyra’s brother, Pablo Ferreyra, told reporters he hopes the court “takes into consideration the social condemnation of corporate syndicalism” and ratified Pedraza’s responsibility as an “instigator” of the attack that culminated in Mariano Ferreyra’s murder.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald