Chiquita asks US to dismiss mass lawsuit over 4,000 killings in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

Chiquita asks US to dismiss mass lawsuit over 4,000 killings in Colombia
Apr 25, 2014 posted by Oliver Sheldon


The multinational fruit and vegetable company, Chiquita Brands International, has asked a US Federal Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them by families of victims of paramilitary violence in Colombia, reported national media.

Chiquita Brands in 2007 was fined $25 million after being found guilty of paying $1.7 million to now-defunct paramilitary umbrella group AUC , between 1997 and 2004.

Chiquita has argued that the claims should be rejected because although they made the payments, it can’t be asserted that they were directly linked to the thousands of deaths caused by the paramilitaries, reported Colombia’s Santa Fe Radio.

John Hall, a lawyer for the company, told a US court that any legal action taken by the families of victims should take place in Colombia.

Attorney for the Colombian plaintiffs, Paul Hoffman, said that the American justice system does have jurisdiction over the case because Chiquita headquarters was based in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the time, and made payment decisions from that location.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/chiquita-asks-us-dismiss-mass-lawsuit-4000-killings-colombia/#prettyPhoto

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Translation:

Let's move the lawsuit to Columbia

The judges and juries there know what happens to them should they cross us.

[Zen Democrat]

2. Chiquita is the brand name of the powerful old United Fruit Company.

The same one in which CIA Director Allen Dulles and his brother John Foster Dulles were major shareholders. The CIA overthrew the Arbanz government in Guatamalan in 1954 because the progressive leader was kicking United Fruit OUT of Guatamala for literally enslaving workers.

Chiquita isn't a cute curvy banana, it's a killer corp with intelligence ties for decades.