CSN Central NY Chapter

Sunday, March 30, 2008
Editorial: Chiquita's trade with terrorists
The Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-chiquita29mar29,1,417
7424.story
(Tags -> Colombia : U.S. Policy: Chiquita Case, U.S. Policy: : English)

The cast of villains in Latin American politics always seems to
feature the same players: left-wing guerrillas, right-wing death
squads and Chiquita Brands International. The leftist rebels want to
take from the rich and give to the poor, the right-wing death squads
want a political system that favors a wealthy elite, and Chiquita
wants bananas. And in pursuit of an endless supply of tropical gold,
it is even willing to placate Colombian terrorists.

Although the U.S. State Department placed the left-wing Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, on the list of terrorist
organizations in 1997, and added the right-wing United Self Defense
Forces in 2001, Chiquita did business with both, making "protection
payments" it said were necessary to safeguard the lives of its
employees. U.S. law prohibits such deals with terrorists, but when the
government caught Chiquita in violation, it graciously agreed to fine
the company $25 million -- the precise amount the company had
suggested. None of that money, however, will reach the victims of the
terrorists that Chiquita's money helped arm.

That's why a lawsuit filed this month by the widows of five men killed
by the FARC gives such grim satisfaction. It joins several others,
also in federal district court in Miami, accusing Chiquita of
complicity in the deaths of Colombians killed by the two paramilitary
groups. This most recent suit seeks unspecified damages, but we can
only hope the company is punished severely for a business strategy
that enabled terrorists in order to protect Chiquita's people and
profits.

While the FARC was dragging three American military contractors off to
the jungle -- where, five years later, they are still being held,
along with hundreds of other hostages -- Chiquita was doing business
with their captors. And while American taxpayers were sending Colombia
billions of dollars in military aid to fight drug trafficking -- the
primary source of funding for the terrorists -- Chiquita was
countering that effort by providing revenue to the thugs.

Maybe it's true that Chiquita couldn't have done business in rebel
territory without negotiating with the rebels, but that was its
choice. And if dealing with terrorists is a legitimate business
expense, then so is compensation for terrorists' victims. Having made
a deal with the devil, it's time for Faust to pay up.

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