The banana company, Chiquita Brands International Inc., is involved in yet another legal battle for its payouts to Columbia’s left-wing paramilitary group, the Fuerza Amadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). Families of five missionaries killed by the FARC in the 1990s have filed a wrongful death suit claiming that Chiquita’s payments to the rebel group contributed to the deaths.
Bananas and War: A Brief Overview
Chiquita’s history in Latin America dates back to the beginning of the 20th century when they were called the United Fruit Company. Chiquita was trademarked in the 1940s, but the company didn’t become Chiquita Brands International Inc. until 1985. As a giant corporation, they faced criticism over their amount of influence on the banana republics of Latin America. There is also speculation that Chiquita’s lobbying against the democratically elected president of Guatemala in the 1950s led to a CIA-led military coup in that country that overthrew the government. The company was already in Columbia when a guerilla war began in the 1960s.
In 2007, Chiquita agreed to a $25 million fine based on its having paid Columbia’s left-wing FARC and ELN (National Liberation Army), and right-wing AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Columbia) for protection. However, Chiquita claims the payments were extortion and made only under duress. These groups have been labeled terrorist organizations by the US government. In addition to a litany of human rights abuses, these groups have also been tied to Columbia’s drug trade.
Wrongful Death Suit
The evangelical New Tribes Mission, based in Florida, has missionaries all over the world. In the 1990s, they were in Columbia. The families of the slain claim that their family members were abducted from two small villages by the FARC in 1994, and were killed because the missionary group couldn’t come up with the ransom money. Chiquita is involved because they were allegedly financing the FARC’s operations at the time of the abductions. The suit also claims that Chiquita provided weapons and logistical support to the FARC at this time.
The law suit seeks unspecified damages.
Unfortunately, this seems to be another case of foreign missionaries caught up in events bigger than they are. While they certainly have the right to go to places as dangerous as Columbia, and they do believe in their calling, they also know the risks. What could not be foreseen is a major US corporation aiding the same rebel group that would eventually kill them. Rarely does the American public think about multi-national corporations giving guns and money to armed groups that may turn around and use them against US civilians.
If you, or a loved one, believe a family member’s death may have been caused by another party’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional behavior, please contact a personal injury lawyer with experience in wrongful death cases.
