Chiquita Ordered to Pay $38.3M for Funding Colombian Paramilitaries, Killing Nine Victims

Jun 11, 2024, 06:58 PM

A Florida jury has ruled that Chiquita Brands International must pay $38.3 million in damages to the families of nine Colombian victims killed by a paramilitary group that the company was found to have financed. This historic verdict marks the first time a U.S. corporation has been held liable by a U.S. jury for human rights violations committed abroad. The case involved Chiquita's financial support to right-wing paramilitary groups during Colombia's civil war in the late 1990s and early 2000s, leading to the deaths of several individuals near the company's banana farms. The ruling is seen as a landmark victory for human rights and sets a precedent for holding corporations accountable for their actions overseas.