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Chiquita Fruit Company Held Liable for Funding Colombian Paramilitary Group
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Image copyright: Richard Levine/Contributor/Corbis News via Getty Images
The Facts
A Florida jury has ordered fruit company Chiquita Brands International to pay $38M to the families of eight Colombian men killed by the Colombian United Self-Defense Forces (AUC), which Chiquita reportedly made payments to from 1997-2004.
Chiquita was ordered to pay a $25M fine in 2007 for paying the AUC, which it claimed was protection money paid for the sake of their employees. The jury in this case ruled that Chiquita did not prove the money was paid under threat of harm.
The Spin
Left narrative
This ruling finally validates what victims have known for too long — a US multinational propped up a right-wing militia for the sake of profit. Chiquita and its predecessor, United Fruit, left an indelible mark on Latin America and had a major role in many brutal atrocities committed in the name of US imperialism. This history is now being unveiled for the world to see, and will hopefully lead to more verdicts such as this.
Right narrative
Chiquita, faced with extortion by the AUC, had to pay protection money to protect their farmers and workers from the group and from left-wing guerilla attacks. Colombia was wracked by decades of conflict, and Chiquita had to deal with unsavory groups to protect their business and the employees who depended on it. There is also doubt as to which groups were behind the eight killings, making an appeal necessary.
