Banana giant must compensate victims of Colombian paramilitary: US court
Al Jazeera
Surviving family members awarded $38.3m after Chiquita found liable for funding armed group that killed their relatives.
A court in the United States has ordered banana giant Chiquita Brands International to pay compensation to victims of paramilitary violence in Colombia.
A Florida federal court jury said on Monday the company must pay $38.3m in damages to the families of eight Colombian men killed by the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).
Designated a terrorist organisation by the US, AUC was known for its human rights abuses, according to EarthRights, an NGO that helped build the case.
The eight plaintiffs in the case were the families of the victims, who include husbands and sons killed by the AUC, according to their lawyers.
“Our clients risked their lives to come forward to hold Chiquita to account, putting their faith in the United States justice system,” said Agnieszka Fryszman, one of the lawyers leading the case.
