Amy Goodman: Chiquita’s Slipping Appeal (Truthdig)

[marmar]

Chiquita’s Slipping Appeal

Posted on Mar 20, 2007
By Amy Goodman

What do Osama bin Laden and Chiquita bananas have in common? Both have used their millions to finance terrorism.

The Justice Department has just fined Chiquita Brands International $25 million for funding a terrorist organization ... for years. Chiquita must also cooperate fully with ongoing investigations into its payments to the ultra-right-wing Colombian paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia. Chiquita made almost monthly payments to the AUC from 1997 to 2004, totaling at least $1.7 million.

The AUC is a brutal paramilitary umbrella group, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 armed troops. It was named a terrorist organization by the United States on Sept. 10, 2001. Among its standard tactics are kidnapping, torture, disappearance, rape, murder, beatings, extortion and drug trafficking.

Chiquita claims it had to make the payments under threat from the AUC in order to protect its employees and property. Chiquita’s outside lawyers implored them to stop the illegal payments, to no avail. The payments were made by check through Chiquita’s Colombian subsidiary, Banadex. When Chiquita executives figured out how illegal the payments were, they started delivering them in cash. Chiquita sold Banadex in June 2004 when the heat got too intense. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070320_chiquitas_slipping_appeal/

[Mika]

1. Cubans (not just Castro) threw United Fruit Co out of Cuba in 1959.

Cuba has been on the US shit list ever since.

[Wilber_Stool]

2. Slipping Appeal.

Damn. That one actually caused me physical pain.

[yurbud]

3. can't believe this didn't get voted up. Amy has covered this in places like Nigeria where big oil

hires death squads and pays the government to silence critics.