Atlanta Economic Times-"Banana goliath expected to take responsibility for financing paramilitaries"

Chiquita Brands International, a multinational fruit company, has been found liable by a court in the United States for financing a Colombian paramilitary group.

At the time, the United States of America classified the group as a terrorist organization under the name United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

Chiquita has been ordered to compensate the eight Colombian families for $38.3 million (£30 million) in damages as a result of a civil case brought by those families whose members were killed by the AUC.

In a statement, Chiquita stated that it planned to appeal the jury's decision, claiming that there was "no legal basis for the claims."

In the case, which was heard by a jury in a federal court in South Florida, eight men killed by the AUC were wrongfully killed by Chiquita.

The AUC took part in boundless denials of basic freedoms in Colombia, including killing individuals it associated with joins with left-wing rebels.

Banana workers and trade unionists were among the victims.

After Chiquita pleaded guilty in 2007 to making payments to the AUC, the families brought the case.

During the trial in 2007, it was discovered that Chiquita had paid the AUC more than $1.7 million over the course of six years, from 1997 to 2004.

The banana monster said that it started making the installments after the head of the AUC at that point, Carlos Castaño, suggested that staff and property having a place with Chiquita's auxiliary in Colombia could be hurt in the event that the cash was not impending.

Chiquita's lawyers argued that the company was forced to pay the AUC to safeguard its Colombian workers from violence.

In any case, the offended parties contended that the organization framed "an unholy partnership with the AUC" when Chiquita was extending its presence in locales constrained by the AUC.

Even after the AUC was declared a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in 2001, the regular payments continued.

Although the AUC claimed to have been established to protect landowners from left-wing rebel attacks and extortion attempts, the paramilitary organization frequently served as a death squad for drug traffickers.

It had approximately 30,000 members who engaged in extortion, forced displacement, murder, drug trafficking, and intimidation at its height.

Additionally, it carried out brutal assaults on villagers it feared were supporting left-wing rebels.

After reaching a peace agreement with the government in 2006, the group disbanded, but some of its members went on to form new splinter groups that are still active. From hundreds of claims against the banana company, nine cases were selected for the class-action lawsuit against Chiquita, which ended on Monday.

The jury observed that the AUC was liable for eight of the nine homicides inspected as a feature of the claim.

Additionally, the jury decided that Chiquita had knowingly provided the AUC with substantial assistance, sufficient to create a foreseeable risk of harm.

"Tragedy for so many, including those directly affected by the violence there, and our thoughts remain with them and their families," Chiquita said in a statement released after the verdict.

It went on to say, "However, that does not alter our belief that there is no legal basis for these claims."

The company said it was still sure that its legal position would win out in the end.

Agnieszka Fryszman, one of the main legal counselors for the offended parties, in the mean time commended the families she addressed, saying that they had "put their lives in extreme danger to approach to consider Chiquita responsible, placing their confidence in the US equity framework".

"The verdict does not bring back the husbands and sons who were killed, but it sets the record straight and places accountability for funding terrorism where it belongs," she added. at Chiquita's front door"

One more legal counselor for the Colombian families, Leslie Kroeger, said that "following a long 17 years against a very much financed safeguard, a fair consequence was at last given".

On July 15, a different group of plaintiffs will begin a second case against Chiquita.

Presented By "Kennedy Lucas & Associates

BY K.L.P Entertainment

Atlanta Economic Times-"Banana goliath expected to take responsibility for financing paramilitaries"

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