Colombians seek extradition of U.S. banana executives who supported death squads

[Judi Lynn]

Colombians seek extradition of U.S. banana executives who supported death squads
The Associated Press
Published: March 16, 2007


BOGOTA, Colombia: Outraged Colombians called Friday for the United States to extradite American banana executives after the Cincinnati-based fruit giant Chiquita acknowledged funding illegal death squads in the region where it got its bananas.
(snip)

The Colombians particularly want to know whether U.S. prosecutors learned anything more about a November 2001 scheme in which a Banadex ship was used to unload 3,000 rifles and more than 2.5 million bullets that came from Nicaragua on a different ship for use by Colombia's paramilitaries.

The shipment was revealed in a 2003 report by the Organization of American States.
(snip)

"The prosecutor will ask for details on the agreement, and see if that information strengthens the investigation into the arms-trafficking investigation," a prosecutor's office source said Friday on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak on the record.

Some Colombian politicians also questioned the U.S. government's role in the scandal.
(snip/...)

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/16/america/LA-GEN-Colombia-Terrorism-Bananas.php

[TheConstantGardener]

1. I doubt it will happen but it should

The arc of history is long, but hopefully like Dr. King said it does bend towards justice.

[bobbie]

2. Wow, finally some light on United Fruit/Chiquita's terrorism

Aided of course by capitalism's enforcement branch--the CIA.

Does this story appear in any American paper? Doubtful.

Great find Judi Lynn, thanks.

[Judi Lynn]

3. That's the only place it has shown up so far, bobbie. Not too surprising, is it?

No doubt we would have heard about it here earlier, but there are still Anna Nicole stories to be told, and what about the school bus drivers who are also extremists? Whoooo! Gotta print all the important "news" first.

[Peace Patriot]

4. Somebody needs to track down whether the CEO's were Bush/Cheney donors.

Also, I'm wondering about that banana king who ran against Rafael Correa in Ecuador (and got trounced by him).

[Judi Lynn]

5. Speaking of that snake Alvaro Noboa, here's something you may want to see, which was overlooked

around here, somewhat!

Ecuador: Correa Claims Fraud
Duroyan Fertl
Green Left Weekly (radical newspaper)
New South Wales, Australia
October 29, 2006



A group of Ecuadorian citizens show an election ballot allegedly found in a park after the election, during a protest in front of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in Quito. (Photo: Rodrigo Buendia / AFP-Getty Images)

On Oct. 15, Ecuador went to the polls. Having seen eight presidents in 10 years, three of whom were overthrown by a population frustrated by the corruption, ineptitude, and nepotism that characterize Ecuador's elite, the chances of any government lasting out its mandate seem slim. However, the challenge could be in getting one of the 13 presidential candidates even legitimately elected.

First counts showed the radical left-wing economist, Rafael Correa, and two-time runner-up, billionaire banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, neck-and-neck with around 25 percent each — until the voting machines, supplied by Brazilian company E-Vote, broke down.

When E-Vote declared that it was unable to count the last 30 percent of votes, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (T.S.E.) rescinded its contract, and Correa, who had been polling well over 30 percent immediately before the election, claimed that a fraud had been perpetrated. Many of the other parties have echoed his claims.

A subsequent recount by the T.S.E. confirmed a margin of 26 percent to 23 percent in favor of Noboa. However, Correa's party, Alianza Pais ("Country Alliance") has produced what it claims is evidence of systematic fraud, including photographs of members of Noboa's PRIAN (Renovador Institucional) party at polling booths marking and removing hundreds of ballots.

Prensa Latina reported that up to 10 percent of the votes are missing in Guayas Province, and that altered ballots have been discovered. The T.S.E. and other electoral tribunals are presided over by members of PRIAN and the right-wing Social Christian Party.
(snip/...)

http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/2541.cfm



Alvaro Noboa

Looks like the little twerp, Ecuador's richest man, Noboa almost pulled it off. Thank God he lost despite his efforts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noboa may not have as much trouble with union workers since he works CHILDREN on his banana plantations:

In Ecuador's Banana Fields, Child Labor Is Key to Profits

The New York Times
July 13, 2002
By JUAN FORERO

PUERTO INCA, Ecuador - At Los Álamos plantation, it would appear that no expense was spared to produce the Bonita brand Cavendish bananas sold in the United States.

The modern 3,000-acre hacienda in this steamy corner of Ecuador, one of the most efficient in Latin America, employs some 1,300 workers to tend banana plants fed by a state-of-the-art irrigation system.

The owner is Álvaro Noboa, Ecuador's richest man and a worldly bon vivant. He has become the leading candidate for president with the help of a slick marketing campaign that has cast him as a populist friend of the poor. "I love the workers at Los Álamos," Mr. Noboa told local reporters in May, when he announced his candidacy.

But in interviews, a dozen children and many adults spoke of child laborers at Los Álamos, among them a spindly-armed 10-year-old, Esteban Menéndez. "I come here after school and I work here all day," Esteban said. "I have to work to help my father, to help him make money."

The presence of children on the plantation of a man who may win Ecuador's presidential election in October is one of the more glaring examples of how enduring the use of child labor remains in Latin America, where some 42 million children from ages 5 to 14 have been estimated to be working in recent years.
(snip/...)

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/bananas/20020715_236.html

[Judi Lynn]

6. Some reasons right-wing banana multi-billionaire Alvaro Noboa is so wealthy. No expenses!

It's almost pure profit when you steal people's hard work and don't really pay them anything, and don't intend to, not ever in your lifetime:

Ecuador exports twice as many bananas as any other country in the world. Yet the estimated 300,000 or so banana workers see few of the benefits of this production. Conditions for these workers are amongst the worst in the banana industry. The low-wage, non-unionised banana production in Ecuador is driving down conditions for banana workers around the world as companies relocate their own production and seek out the cheapest possible sources from which to purchase.

Child Labour

A Human Rights Watch report in 2002 found widespread child labour in the Ecuadorian banana industry; although it is against the law, under-age young people work on plantations instead of attending school to help increase family income to a decent level. Despite the establishment of a national forum to tackle the issue and encourage children into education, under-age workers are still employed. A September 2005 worker rights petition from Human Rights Watch to the US Trade Representative concluded that very little has improved in terms of enforcement by the Labor Ministry.

Labour Rights

The banana workers' union and small farmers' organisation FENACLE is leading a drive to organise banana workers so that they can increase their strength to negotiate with employers to put an end to years of exploitation.

Less than 1% of Ecuador's banana workers are unionised. The widespread use of the sub-contracting system, where plantation owners do not directly employ workers, means that owners deny responsibility for working conditions. These workers have no job security at all and are not entitled to social protection or paid leave. Even the government now admits that these labour sub-contractors deliberately keep the number of workers employed by each one of them to less than 30, which is the required number to form a trade union. In this way the organisation of a workplace-based trade union has become next to impossible. The trade union federation, FENACLE, has been campaigning against this system since 2003; in recent weeks, the Labour Ministry has recognised the extent of the problem – which goes well beyond the banana sector – and is promising to legislate.
(snip/...)

http://www.bananalink.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114&Itemid=97

[ronnie624]

7. But, it is Chiquita, that is the real victim.

See? From the article linked by the OP:

Chiquita portrayed itself as a victim of Colombian violence, and Wall Street analysts quickly declared the chapter closed, giving reassuring guidance to Chiquita shareholders that led to a sharp rise in share prices.

Chiquita, which sold Banadex in June 2004 for around $43.5 million (€35.8 million) — said it was merely trying to protect its workforce in a violent region.

Banadex, Chiquita said, "had been forced to make payments to right- and left-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia to protect the lives of its employees. The payments made by the company were always motivated by our good faith concern for the safety of our employees."

Poor things. :sarcasm:

But, everything is alright. "Wall Street analysts quickly declared the chapter closed", and share prices are up sharply. Back to the status quo.

[Pryderi]

10. Carl Lindner Owns Chiquita and Fights campaign finance reform

http://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/mojo_400/6_lindner.html

[Judi Lynn]

12. Had no idea Chiquita has this much power here! Great quote in your link:

..... even normally staid observers were stunned last October, when Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott tried to insert language into an appropriations bill that would have given Chiquita veto power over any settlement of the trade dispute. The Wall Street Journal called the move "extraordinary." The Los Angeles Times termed it a "mockery of the government's trade policy." Noting that Lott's move would have put Lindner on a near-equal footing with the president, the Washington Post called it a "caricature of bad trade policy."

This is appalling, isn't it? Don't think it was what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

[Pryderi]

15. Lindner secured the use of Great American Ballpark for the Bush's re-election campaign

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lindner,_Jr.

Carl Lindner and his family have been strong supporters of the Republican Party for quite some time. During the 2004 election cycle, the Lindner family contributed tens of thousands of dollars (funneled through each member of the family) to various conservative groups, including the Republican National Committee and several Republican politicians. A close ally of George W. Bush, Lindner secured the use of Great American Ballpark for the Bush's re-election campaign on October 31, 2004, a few days before the 2004 Presidential Election.

[NYC]

16. There is a relationship between Bush, Sr. & United Fruit.

I can't remember the details. If I find it, I'll post it.

...In 1953, Bush got money from Brown Brothers Harriman and, with partners Hugh and Bill Liedtke, formed Zapata Petroleum...

...In 1969, Zapata bought the United Fruit Company of Boston...

[Judi Lynn]

17. Just found a D.U. Demopedia entry on this information:

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/United_Fruit_Company#Coup_in_Guatemala

All of this material needs to become very well known by many people. Learning about what these idiots have done and have been doing in this hemisphere would put them all in much clearer perspective.

The level of ignorance in the society at large about these right-wing, power mad criminals is astonishing. Just a little information can go a long, long way in shining a light on them.

[Pryderi]

8. Media Should Apologize and Pay Chiquita $$$

In 1998, the Cincinnati Enquirer ran a series called "Chiquita SECRETS Revealed" which was removed from the Enquirer's website after it was discovered that the reporter had hacked into an executive's voicemail. The Cincinnati Enquirer ended up apologizing and PAID Chiquita 10 million dollars!

Chiquita accepts apology, $10M from Enquirer
Publisher calls stories "tainted"

Monday, June 29, 1998

BY JOHN NOLAN
The Associated Press

The Chiquita fruit company accepted an apology and retraction Sunday of a series of newspaper stories questioning its business practices, and also received an unusual $10 million settlement.

The Cincinnati Enquirer said its front-page apology to Chiquita Brands International Inc. was necessary because the lead reporter on the series unethically obtained the supporting information.

Chiquita had not sued the newspaper but had insisted ever since the stories were published in a May 3 special section that they were wrong, without going into detail about what facts were in question. In an interview, Enquirer Publisher Harry M. Whipple declined to discuss what material in the articles the newspaper believes to be factual or wrong.

Instead, Mr. Whipple and Editor Lawrence K. Beaupre focused their apology on the actions of the lead reporter, Mike Gallagher, whom they fired Friday.

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1998/06/29/loc_chiquita29.html

You can read the originial series here:
http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/chiquita/index.html

[Judi Lynn]

13. Very interesting learning someone drove right past the security guards at Chiquita's plantation

in Honduras, drove directly to the place where they found the union leader, shot him dead, turned around, and drove right back past the same security guards, and left and no one had any idea what had happened.

It's not as if corporations throughout Central and South American already don't have the history of killing off union leaders, is it?

That happened in the United States for a long time, too, until the unions got strong enough. Now the move is on to destroy them in the eyes of non-union Americans through constant anti-union agitation. They just don't want to pay the workers what they actually are worth. They'd all chose slavery if they can find a way to swing it, and everyone knows it.

Thanks for the links.

[IndianaGreen]

9. This did not happen in a vacuum. Someone in the US government knew!

And let's not forget that behind it all, Colombian President Uribe is himself under suspicion in Colombia.

[Pryderi]

11. It's part of Bush's privitization plan of the military.

[Judi Lynn]

14. Uribe has some questionable friends, doesn't he?

[Judi Lynn]

18. Colombia's dark underbelly leaves Bush with an embarrassing best friend

Colombia's dark underbelly leaves Bush with an embarrassing best friend
Isabel Hilton
18 March 2007 11:59

~snip~
But the most dangerous scandal for Uribe comes from the arrest of Jorge Noguera, his former campaign manager and, from 2002 to 2005, head of the DAS. Former DAS colleagues have told investigators of Noguera’s close collaboration with Jorge 40 and other paramilitary leaders. The accusations include an assassination plot against Chávez, the murder of political opponents, electoral fraud, and doctoring police and judicial records to erase paramilitary cases. Noguera worked directly with Uribe and, when the investigations began, the president appointed him consul in Milan. Colombia’s Supreme Court forced his return.

Before the US mid-term elections Bush might have toughed the scandal out. But a Democratic Congress is questioning a Latin America policy that has left Washington with few friends besides Uribe and asking whether he is the best recipient of the US taxpayer’s dollar.

Colombian Senator Gustavo Petro’s visit to Washington last week will no doubt have further stiffened the resolve of US lawmakers. Petro has accused the president’s brother, Santiago, of helping to form paramilitary groups and of personal involvement in murders and forced disappearances. He is calling for a Congressional investigation into charges that, as governor, Uribe ordered a halt to an investigation into his brother’s case. The president accused Petro, a former member of a legitimately disbanded guerrilla movement, of being a “terrorist in a business suit”. Petro has since received death threats.
(snip)

In the rest of the region, Bush offers nothing to lift the atmosphere. Chávez is not the only politician to suspect that Washington’s enthusiasm for Uribe is connected to its concern over Venezuela -- suspicions that the revelation of the Chávez assassination plot will do nothing to dispel. In a region that owes its recent growth to high oil prices and to China, the US seems to have lost the plot. -- © Guardian News & Media 2007
(snip/...)

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=302362&area=/insight/insight__international/