The Chiquita Papers by Michael Evans (4-7-11 The National Security Archive)

[bobthedrummer]

Banana Giant's Paramilitary Payoffs Detailed in Trove of Declassified Legal, Financial Documents

Colombian Military Officials Encouraged, Facilitated Company's Payments to Death Squads

"Confidential internal memos from Chiquita Brands International reveal that the banana giant benefited from its payments to Colombian paramilitary and guerrilla groups, contradicting the company's 2007 plea agreement with U.S. prosquetors, which claimed that the company had never received 'any actual security services or actual security equipment' in exchange for the payments."

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB340/index.htm

[Octafish]

1. Incredible.

What's amazing is how the "war on terror" is so similar to how the right gets rid of union organizers in Columbia:

PDF: 1997 August 29 – Memo written Chiquita in-house counsel says, "we currently are members of an organization called CONVIVIR Puntepiedra, S.A., a legal entity in which we participate with other banana exporting companies in the Turbo region. Banadex currently pays $0.03 per box to this CONVIVIR.” Memo also says that the Convivir "operate under military supervision (and have offices at the military bases)" and that "their sole function is to provide information on guerrilla movements."

Thank you, bobthedrummer! Thank you, George Washington University National Security Archives.

[bobthedrummer]

2. Here's an unsubtle message to Gov. Scott Walker et.al. from we, the people

End Anti-Trade Union Violence in Colombia
http://www.justiceforcolombia.org/campaigns/union-rights/

Who else here has had international reps sitting at their table for supper?

[bobthedrummer]

3. ^