A federal judge entered judgment today against Chiquita Brands International, Inc. for $38.3 million, confirming a jury’s June 2024 verdict. The compensation is for the wrongful deaths of seven Colombian nationals, which a jury found were caused by Chiquita’s financial and material support to violent terrorist groups in Colombia.
The six-week trial concluded with a unanimous verdict against the company. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra had delayed the final judgment to consider Chiquita’s argument that Colombian law, which would limit compensation to $52,000 per claim, should apply. However, the court rejected Chiquita’s interpretation, ruling that even if such limits existed under Colombian law, they would not apply to a U.S. corporation.
This landmark decision marks the first time a U.S. corporation has been held liable in an American court for human rights violations committed against foreign nationals outside U.S. borders.
The seven deaths addressed in this judgment are only a fraction of more than 7,000 claims still pending against Chiquita. For 17 years, attorney Jack Scarola has coordinated legal efforts against the company, joined at trial by colleagues Mariano Garcia and Victoria Mesa-Estrada.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.