A U.S. federal jury found Chiquita Brands International liable for the deaths of eight men killed by Colombia’s AUC paramilitary group and awarded $38.3 million to 16 surviving family members. The June 2024 verdict came in a bellwether civil trial; it does not decide every claim against the company or establish its liability for every death attributed to the AUC.
Why was Chiquita found liable?
The civil case arose from payments Chiquita made to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known by its Spanish initials, AUC, a paramilitary group. The Associated Press reported that Chiquita paid the AUC about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004. In the 2024 bellwether trial, relatives of eight men killed by the AUC argued that the company’s support for the group made it responsible for their deaths. The jury found the company liable and awarded damages to 16 relatives. Associated Press, June 10, 2024
Chiquita argued that payments were made under threat to its employees and operations, and said the civil claims had no legal basis. Those are the company’s stated position, not findings that should be confused with the jury’s verdict. AP quoted Chiquita’s post-verdict statement: “The situation in Colombia was tragic for so many,” while maintaining “that there is no legal basis for these claims.”
How much did Chiquita have to pay?
The jury awarded $38.3 million to 16 surviving family members for the deaths of eight men. That is the damages award in this bellwether civil trial, not a criminal fine and not a figure for all claims arising from AUC violence. Associated Press, June 10, 2024
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How the U.S. cases differ
The 2024 civil verdict and Chiquita’s earlier U.S. criminal case are separate proceedings. The criminal case concerned the company’s transactions with the AUC; in 2007, Chiquita pleaded guilty and agreed to a $25 million fine. The later civil trial addressed whether the company was liable for deaths and what damages were owed to the families who brought the bellwether claims.
| Proceeding | Who was the defendant? | What happened? | Scope and status |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. criminal case, 2007 | Chiquita Brands International | The company pleaded guilty to a charge involving transactions with the AUC and agreed to a $25 million fine. U.S. Department of Justice, 2007 | A separate criminal matter; it was not the 2024 civil damages verdict. |
| U.S. civil bellwether trial, June 2024 | Chiquita Brands International | A federal jury found the company liable for eight deaths and awarded $38.3 million to 16 relatives. Associated Press, June 10, 2024 | The verdict addressed the bellwether claims, not every related lawsuit or AUC death. Chiquita appealed; the appeal’s current disposition is not established here. |
| Colombian criminal proceeding, reported July 2025 | Seven former Chiquita executives | EFE reported that the executives were sentenced for financing paramilitaries. EFE, July 24, 2025 | The report said the conviction was subject to appeal. This is a separate action involving former executives, not the U.S. jury’s verdict against the company. |
Did Chiquita appeal the 2024 verdict?
Chiquita appealed the civil verdict. The available reporting establishes that an appeal was filed, but not whether the Eleventh Circuit has since issued a decision. The verdict should therefore be described as appealed, without asserting that it was affirmed, overturned, or otherwise resolved. Reuters, June 12, 2024
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Were Chiquita executives convicted in Colombia?
EFE reported in July 2025 that seven former Chiquita executives had been sentenced in Colombia for financing paramilitaries, with the conviction subject to appeal. This was a separate Colombian criminal proceeding concerning former executives. It should not be treated as part of, or as proof of, the U.S. civil jury’s finding against Chiquita. EFE, July 24, 2025
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