Hoffa Meets With Salvadoran Ambassador, Presses Government for Investigation Into Soto Murder

Hoffa Meets With Salvadoran Ambassador, Presses Government for Investigation Into Soto Murder

Ambassador León Pledges To Work With U.S. And Teamster

November 16, 2004

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney met with Salvadoran Ambassador René León today to ask for his help in pressing El Salvadoran authorities to intensify the investigation of Teamster Representative Jose Gilberto Soto’s murder on November 5, 2004.

Soto, 49, died almost instantly when he was shot in the back while visiting Usulutan, El Salvador on union business. To date, the police have done little to apprehend what appears to be a death squad that killed the union representative.

Soto, a prominent figure involved in organizing port drivers in the U.S., was visiting El Salvador on behalf of the Teamsters to meet with Central American trade union leaders and port drivers.

León made a number of commitments at the meeting, including a pledge to allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into El Salvador to assist in the investigation. León also promised that any witnesses to the murder would be offered protection by his government.

León further proposed that a Teamster representative travel with him as part of a delegation to El Salvador to monitor the progress and ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.

"We let Ambassador León know that we will be relentless in our campaign to determine who was responsible for the murder of Gilberto Soto and that we expect the El Salvadoran government to work to bring the murderers to justice,” said Hoffa. “We were pleased with the meeting with the Ambassador. He was responsive to our concerns about tracking down the murderers."

According to Hoffa, "The Soto murder shows why it is important for the U.S. trade union movement to remain forever vigilant in developing our campaigns for labor and human rights around the world and for insuring the respect for worker rights in our trade agreements."

A reward of $75,000 has been raised through the joint efforts of the Teamsters, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) for information leading to the capture and conviction of Soto’s murderers.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.

On Friday, November 5, 2004, Teamster Representative Jose Gilberto Soto, 49, was shot in the back and killed while visiting Usulutan, El Salvador. To date, the police have done little to apprehend what appears to be a death squad that killed our representative.

It is our understanding that there was no robbery; Mr. Soto was not involved in any criminal activity. He was organizing port drivers, the most exploited truck drivers in the U.S., and he was visiting El Salvador on behalf of the Teamsters to meet with Central American trade union leaders and port drivers.

Mr. Soto was a trusted and respected Teamster leader from the Port of New York/New Jersey. We are concerned that his murder is related to his leadership position with the Teamsters and intention to meet with labor leaders and port drivers in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

I have sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell asking for the government’s assistance in urging officials in El Salvador to conduct a thorough investigation and manhunt to capture these killers.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Soto family, and I pledge that the Teamsters Union will do everything within its power to help apprehend these murderers and bring them to justice.

Mr. Soto’s passion for this cause was well known throughout the union, and it would dishonor his memory if we did not continue this fight. He recognized the need to organize port drivers who have been exploited by steamship lines for far too long. We will not waver from this fight – we will not back down. We will bring justice to these workers as a tribute to Gilberto Soto. We know he would not have it any other way.

Click hereto download a high resolution photo of Gilberto Soto for news purposes.