BOGOTÁ – Human rights groups in Colombia are calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate executives from Chiquita Brands for alleged complicity in crimes against humanity as a result of payments made to paramilitary groups more than a decade ago.
Chiquita in 2007 pleaded guilty in a case brought by the U.S. Justice Department to making over $1.7 million in payments to the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) and paid a $25 million fine.
But activists now want to hold accountable those who authorized the payments to the U.S.-designated terrorist group. Declassified documents obtained recently by the National Security Archive through a freedom of information request for the first time name 14 Chiquita executives involved in the scandal.
