Chiquita Brands International Found Liable for Financing Colombian Paramilitary Group
A United States court has ruled against multinational fruit company Chiquita Brands International, holding it accountable for financing a Colombian paramilitary group known as the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC). Designated as a terrorist organization by the US at the time, the AUC was responsible for widespread human rights abuses, including the wrongful deaths of individuals suspected of having ties to left-wing rebels.
In a civil case brought by eight Colombian families whose relatives were killed by the AUC, Chiquita has been ordered to pay $38.3 million (£30 million) in damages. However, Chiquita has expressed its intention to appeal the jury’s verdict, contending that there is “no legal basis for the claims” against it.
The jury, which heard the case in a federal court in South Florida, found Chiquita responsible for the deaths of eight men killed by the AUC. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Chiquita had made payments totaling over $1.7 million to the AUC between 1997 and 2004, after the group’s leader, Carlos Castaño, threatened violence against Chiquita’s Colombian operations.
While Chiquita argued that it made payments to protect its employees from violence, the plaintiffs asserted that the company formed an alliance with the AUC to expand its presence in regions controlled by the paramilitary group. These payments continued even after the AUC was designated as a terrorist organization by the US in 2001.
The AUC, at its peak, had an estimated 30,000 members who engaged in various illegal activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, forced displacement, and killings. Despite its demobilization in 2006, splinter groups formed by former AUC members continue to operate.
The class-action lawsuit against Chiquita, which focused on nine cases chosen from hundreds of claims against the company, resulted in the jury holding Chiquita liable for knowingly providing substantial assistance to the AUC. While Chiquita maintains confidence in its legal position, plaintiffs’ lawyers praised the verdict as a long-awaited victory for justice. Another case against Chiquita brought by a separate group of plaintiffs is set to commence on July 15th.