Hi there,

For nearly 30 years, Democracy Now! has gone to where the silence is. Our reporting provides news you can’t find anywhere else and helps maintain an informed public, which is critical for a functioning democracy. Thanks to a group of generous donors, all donations made today will be TRIPLED, which means your $15 gift is worth $45. Please donate today, so we can keep amplifying voices that refuse to be silent. Every dollar makes a difference. Thank you so much!

Democracy Now!
Amy Goodman

Non-commercial news needs your support.

We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution.

Please do your part today.

Donate

Families of Colombian Paramilitary Victims Sue U.S. Banana Giant Chiquita

HeadlineJun 08, 2007

Relatives of victims of a right-wing paramilitary group in Colombia have filed suit against the U.S. banana giant Chiquita Brands. Earlier this year Chiquita admitted it had paid off the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Chiquita said it had fallen victim to an extortion racket that threatened its employees. Colombian prosecutors have also accused Chiquita of providing arms that were then used to push leftist rebels out of an area in northern Colombia where Chiquita had its banana plantations. The suit was filed on behalf of 144 people killed by Colombian paramilitary groups. Lead attorney Terry Collingsworth says the suit could mark the biggest terrorism case in history. He said: “Putting Chiquita on trial for hundreds, or even thousands, of murders could put them out of business.”

The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top