this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2024
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Landmark verdict against Chiquita marks first time major US company held liable for funding human rights abuses abroad

A Florida court has ordered Chiquita Brands International to pay $38m to the families of eight Colombian men murdered by a paramilitary death squad, after the American banana giant was shown to have financed the terrorist organisation from 1997-2004.

The landmark ruling late on Monday came after 17 years of legal efforts and is the first time that the fruit multinational has paid out compensation to Colombian victims, opening the way for thousands of others to seek restitution.

It also marks the first time a major US corporation has been held liable for such rights abuses in another country and could lead to a series of similar lawsuits involving rights violations across the world.

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 2 months ago (1 children)

At a bare minimum any company that helps terrorists or supports any type of human rights abuse should be taken over and made some sort of public commodity.

Like a corporate applied eminent domain. Now all 'profit' goes directly into the community coffer.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago

Now all ‘profit’ goes directly into the community coffer.

Only after reparations have been made to everyone impacted. I'm sure there were more than eight families who were impacted by Chiquita funding terrorists for eight years and I doubt their abuses were actually limited to those eight years.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Chiquita ordered to pay 38 million fee to kill people.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

At least now they actually have to weigh up the costs, before it was free.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (2 children)

For a large corp 38.3M is chump change, though.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago

Chiquita Brands International's revenue is $3.1 billion. - Chiquita Brands International peak revenue was $3.1B in 2023.

Yep.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

You can be negative if you want but this is still a step in the right direction.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

If corporations are people (Citizens United) they should be able to be tried and get the death penalty.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago

Japanese seppuku style for the folks running the company.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 months ago

So the price to kill someone is 4.75 million? Got it.

As long as the actual people in charge (read: CEO, CTO, CFO, anyone else on the board of directors and any other executives) aren't held directly responsible with a proper punishment that isn't payment, the killing of people is literally just a fee of 4.75 million dollars.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 months ago

Good start st least.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I need to start a company so I can legally kill people.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You can also just be a police officer in the United States.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yeah, but I might get held accountable if I kill the wrong race. _cough_white ppl

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

No, maybe a fruit or water company.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago

Fuck that. Take all the managers at the time, everyone who knew about this deal, and throw them all in jail for 8 counts of murder.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Banana giant death squads. What a world.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Not even the worst thing the US has done for bannanas.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Wait until you learn about the Coca-Cola death squads. I wish I were joking.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago

all the executives at the company at the time should be in jail or sent to columbia for trial.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Where do you put death squads on your PnL sheet?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

the banana republic never fell

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

"Hey Boeing, hold my beer."

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Is it bananas or peanuts?