US Court Orders Chiquita to Compensate Colombian Paramilitary Victims

Chiquita to pay $38.3 million to families of Colombians killed by paramilitary group, US court rules.

A US court has mandated Chiquita Brands International to pay reparations to victims affected by paramilitary violence in Colombia.

On Monday, a federal jury in Florida determined that the company is liable for $38.3 million in damages to the relatives of eight Colombian men murdered by the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

The AUC, categorized as a terrorist organization by the US, has a notorious history of human rights violations, as highlighted by EarthRights, an NGO instrumental in bringing this case to court.

The eight plaintiffs represented families whose husbands and sons were victims of AUC brutality, according to their legal representatives.

“Our clients exhibited immense courage in coming forward to hold Chiquita accountable, placing their trust in the US justice system,” stated Agnieszka Fryszman, one of the lead attorneys on the case.

AUC members preparing to turn in arms in 2004

Chiquita was previously ordered by a US court in 2007 to pay a $25 million fine to resolve criminal charges related to dealings with the AUC.

The corporation had admitted guilt in that case, acknowledging payments made from 2001 to 2004, which it claimed were meant to safeguard its workers. The company portrayed itself as a victim of extortion.

However, the prosecution argued that Chiquita knowingly paid nearly $2 million to the AUC, aware of the group’s violent activities.

The jury concurred that the money facilitated war crimes including murders, kidnappings, extortion, torture, and forced disappearances.

In the 1990s, the AUC was locked in severe conflict with far-left Colombian insurgents, often receiving support from segments of the armed forces.

The organization disbanded in 2006, admitted their crimes, and entered agreements to compensate the victims.

Marco Simons, general counsel at EarthRights International, celebrated the judgment, branding it “a significant warning to corporations globally: profiting from human rights violations will not be overlooked”.

Simons also commended the families who, despite the odds, triumphed against a major US corporation.