'Former paramilitary commander, Chiquita middleman' sentenced to 20 years

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Colombia Reports

'Former paramilitary commander, Chiquita middleman' sentenced to 20 years
Tuesday, 02 August 2011 11:45
Travis Mannon

A former commander of the umbrella paramilitary organization AUC and the alleged mediator between the AUC and Chiquita was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for aggravated homicide and forced disappearances.

Various media reported that Raul Emilio Hasbun, alias "Pedro Bonito," admitted to murdering two suspected guerrillas in a town in Uraba in northwestern Colombia in 1997. He confessed to his crimes to receive half the sentence he would have received if he had been found guilty in a trial.

Pedro Bonito, the former commander of "Bloque Bananero," a division of the AUC, who was himself a banana-producing businessman, has been accused of acting as the intermediary between Chiquita and AUC leader Carlos Castaño to meet and sort out payments.

The banana company paid paramilitary death squads between the years of 1997 and 2004 to keep Chiquita's crops safe. The AUC is known to have committed hundreds of crimes against humanity in Uraba during that period, included murder and extortion.

Read more: http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/18041-former-paramilitary-commander-chiquita-middleman-sentenced-to-20-years.html

[Enrique]

1. "to keep Chiquita's crops safe."

it makes it sound like they hired the death squads for pest control.

[sakabatou]

2. Another reason why I don't buy that brand

[SpiralHawk]

3. Chiquita has long had a wicked case of Republicon Family Cesspool Business Values

[Judi Lynn]

4. Going back even further than the 1950's, when it overthrew Guatemala's President Arbenz,

and got U.S. soldiers, marines, etc. to do the killing, back when it was still the United Fruit Company.

Your image is PERFECT.

[classysassy]

8. Those feisty republicans

The Bush and Lodge families were involved in the banana business in central America.The Banana Republicans in the Banana Republics.

[whathehell]

6. Great Image. n/t

[gratuitous]

5. I'm Chiquita banana and I'm here to say

"Fuck with us and we will blow you away!"

The wheels of justice grind slowly. At this time, I have only a vague hope for similar occurrences in the United States. But I do indeed long for the day when justice rolls down like water.

[Major Hogwash]

7. Wow.

Other countries actually prosecute their war criminals!
Incredible.