Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Banana giant Chiquita ordered by a U.S. federal court to pay $38 million in damages to eight families in Colombia whose relatives were killed by a local paramilitary gang

The cost of doing business in a dangerous country like Colombia? To get cheap bananas to many consumers every day? Most likely the company was extorted by these gangsters.

What! The company was held liable for the wrongful deaths by local gangsters! I think, this is a travesty of justice and a dubious legal construction to link the Chiquita company to these deaths! It seems a bit absurd! It smells like a racket (who were the attorneys representing the families?). Verdicts like this may have serious consequences for businesses!
Caveat: I am not familiar with the details of the case.

It appears as of 6/11/2024, the Swiss-based American Chiquita Brands International company has not yet put out a press release regarding this verdict.

"A court in the United States has found multinational fruit company Chiquita Brands International liable for financing a Colombian paramilitary group.
The group, the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), was designated by the US as a terrorist organisation at the time.
The AUC engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including murdering people it suspected of links with left-wing rebels.
Following a civil case brought by eight Colombian families whose relatives were killed by the AUC, Chiquita has been ordered to pay $38.3m (£30m) in damages to the families.
The jury in the case, which was heard in a federal court in South Florida, found Chiquita responsible for the wrongful deaths of eight men murdered by the AUC. ...
The case was brought by the families after Chiquita pleaded guilty in 2007 to making payments to the AUC. ..."

Banana giant Chiquita held liable by US court for funding paramilitaries

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