JOSE RAQUEL MERCADO: A CRIME THAT CONTINUES IN IMPUNITY.

José Raquel Mercado, born in Cartagena and deeply rooted in the soul of his community, dedicated his youth to laboring on the bustling docks of his hometown. Despite limited education, his innate self-taught spirit led him to join the dockworkers' union. Over time, he rose through the ranks, eventually taking a seat on the board and, ultimately, assuming the presidency of that labor organization.

His influence expanded during the period of the "Frente Nacional" in 1957, where he emerged as one of the prominent leaders in the national labor struggle. Mercado extended his influence to the Confederation of Workers of Colombia (C.T.C.), holding leadership positions and being elected as the President of this confederation.

Furthermore, he was elected as a representative to the House of Representatives for the Liberal Party and represented Colombia and its workers at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. His rise in the political and labor sphere, along with his appointment as president of the board of the Banco Popular, seems to have made him a target of the April 19 Movement (M-19).

On February 15, 1976, José Raquel Mercado was kidnapped by the M-19 and subsequently executed after a summary "revolutionary" trial. His lifeless body was found on April 19 of that same year in the vicinity of Parque el Salitre in Bogotá, marking a tragic episode that, despite the continued protests of labor leaders and the general populace, remains in impunity.