Chiquita Brands International Faces $38.3 Million Verdict for Allegedly Financing Colombian Paramilitaries

Apartado, Colombia — A Florida federal jury has found Chiquita Brands International liable for its financial backing of a notorious Colombian paramilitary group implicated in countless killings, marking a historic judgment against the global fruit conglomerate. The jury awarded approximately $38.3 million to the families of eight men killed by the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, which received millions of dollars from Chiquita even after being designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. in 2001. This landmark decision arrives nearly two decades after Chiquita admitted to making payments to the AUC and agreed to … Read more