US banana giant, Chiquita Brands International must pay $38 million dollars to the families of eight Colombians murdered by a paramilitary death squad financed by the brand from 1997 to 2004, a court in Florida has found. It’s the first case of a US company held accountable for violations in another country and could inspire others to fight for corporate accountability.
Summary
US banana giant, Chiquita Brands International must pay $38 million dollars to the families of eight murdered by a paramilitary death squad financed by the brand from 1997 to 2004, a court in Florida has found.
Chiquita, which had extensive banana plantations in Colombia’s Urabá and Magdalena regions, began paying the AUC for protection against the FARC, a left-wing armed group that threatened their operations. Initially formed in 1996 by local business interests as a "self-protection" force, the AUC’s role quickly escalated from protecting banana zones to committing widespread atrocities and becoming one of the largest drug traffickers, says the Guardian.
New evidence presented to the Florida courts showed that Chiquita allowed the AUC to use its ports to import automatic rifles and its banana boats to smuggle cocaine across the seas, human rights lawyers at International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) said.
The ruling has come after 17 years of legal effort and it is the first time the fruit brand has paid out compensation to families, opening the door for thousands of others. It’s also the first time that a US company has been held accountable for violations in another country and could lead to similar lawsuits across the world.
Terry Collingsworth, Executive Director of IRAdvocates said: “Hopefully, this verdict will inspire others to fight for corporate accountability.”
“Corporations operating in the global economy will do whatever they can get away with. We just showed them that there are real consequences for corporate outlaws.”
Read The Guardian article here.
Post a new comment »