'Chiquita' banana company provided support to paramilitary group

A court in the U.S. has found the world-renowned Chiquita banana company guilty of providing financial support to a paramilitary group known as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). On Monday, a jury ruled that Chiquita provided support to the Colombia United Self-Defense Forces (AUC) paramilitary group. concluded that it funded the

According to a report by BBC Turkish, the jury Chiquita ordered Chiquita to pay $38.3 million in damages to the families of eight people killed by the AUC. Among those who lost their lives were union members and banana workers. Chiquita company stated that they would appeal the decision. In a statement, the company claimed that "what happened in Colombia was tragic for many, especially those directly affected by the violence, but that the allegations have no legal basis."

In another court case in 2007, the company admitted to making $1.7 million in payments to the AUC between 1997 and 2004. They stated that they sent this money due to threats from the AUC's leader at the time, Carlos Castaño, that the company and its employees would be harmed if they did not pay. The company's lawyers argued that they had no other option but to pay this money to ensure the safety of their employees.

The plaintiffs, however, based on this admission by Chiquita,argued that the company was "funding the AUC." took the matter to court, alleging that the company paid $2 million to the organization despite knowing that it was involved in terrorist activities.  They also claimed that the companycollaborated with the AUC .  The AUCis accused of numerous human rights violations in the 1990s, including the killing of individuals alleged to have ties to leftist insurgents.