Chiquita found liable for financing paramilitary group

A Florida jury on Monday found banana company Chiquita Brands International liable for financing the Colombian paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC). The jury in the civil case, in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, found that “Chiquita knowingly provided substantial assistance to the AUC to a degree sufficient to create a foreseeable risk of harm to others.” Chiquita, one of the world’s largest banana producers, has been ordered to pay a total of $38.3 million to …