Aug. 9, 2009
The Price Of Bananas
Steve Kroft On How Colombian Paramilitaries Landed A U.S. Corporation In Hot Water
-
Play CBS Video Video The Price of Bananas Chiquita Brands International says it paid murderous paramilitaries in Colombia to protect its employees there, but families of civilians killed by paramilitaries fault the company for their deaths.
-
(CBS)
-
Fast Facts Colombia Learn about the people, economy and history.
The decision created a furor in Colombia. The country's prosecutor general said he would begin his own investigation, and has threatened to extradite some of Chiquita’s executives to stand trial in Colombia.
There's also a Congressional investigation, led by Representative William Delahunt of Massachusetts, who chairs a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee.
Rep. Delahunt has been quoted as saying that Chiquita is the tip of the iceberg.
Asked what he means by that, Delahunt tells Kroft, "Well, I think that there are other American companies that have conducted themselves the same way that Chiquita has, except they haven't been caught."
How many companies?
"Well, there are several," Delahunt says.
Delahunt says he doesn't want to share more information "because I want to give those companies an opportunity to come before the committee."
60 Minutes did find one person who was willing to name names inside a maximum security prison outside Medellin: Salvatore Mancuso was once the leader of the paramilitaries.
"Chiquita says the reason they paid the money was because your people would kill them if they didn't. Is that true?" Kroft asks.
"No it is not true," Mancuso says. "They paid taxes because we were like a state in the area, and because we were providing them with protection which enabled them to continue making investments and a financial profit."
"What would have happened to Chiquita and its employees if they had not paid you?" Kroft asks.
"The truth is, we never thought about what would happen because they did so willingly," Mancuso says.
Asked if the company had a choice, Mancuso says, "Yes, they had a choice. They could go to the local police or army for protection from the guerillas, but the army and police at that time were barely able to protect themselves."
Mancuso helped negotiate a deal with the Colombian government that allowed more than 30,000 paramilitaries to give up their arms and demobilize in return for reduced prison sentences. As part of the deal, the paramilitaries must truthfully confess to all crimes, or face much harsher penalties.
"Was Chiquita the only American company that paid you?" Kroft asks Mancuso.
"All companies in the banana region paid. For instance, there was Dole and Del Monte, which I believe are U.S. companies," Mancuso claims.
Both Dole Food Company and Fresh Del Monte Produce, which is not affiliated with Del Monte Foods, have issued statements strongly denying that they made payments to the paramilitaries. Fresh Del Monte Produce said its Colombian operation is "limited to a sales office which purchases bananas from independent growers."
Produced by Andy Court
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Recent Segments
Scroll Left Scroll Right
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- next
See all 78 CommentsPlease Don''t Cut and Paste the same thing over and over again. People read it once and we get your point.
Thank YOU !
The criminal activity fuel by cocaine users can be seen from the streets of Baltimore to the hills of Columbia. CBS, the people with blood on their hands are the Chiquita executives AND anyone (some in your employ) who has spent the money to fund this violence.
How about the price of Halliburton''s profits?
So far:
4071 Dead Americans.
$3 trillion squandered.
$4 a gallon gas.
The Price of Bananas?
Guess we''ll have to ask that prize chimp in the white house.
CONGO and Coltan (columbite-tantalite). Regional analysts say the international demand for coltan is one of the driving forces behind the war in the DRC, and the presence of rival militias in the country.
Companies use tantalum to make a variety of electronic devices, including laptops, DVD players and cell phones.
http://geology.about.com/od/conflictminerals/a/coltan.htm
CONGO and Coltan (columbite-tantalite). Regional analysts say the international demand for coltan is one of the driving forces behind the war in the DRC, and the presence of rival militias in the country.
Companies use tantalum to make a variety of electronic devices, including laptops, DVD players and cell phones.
http://geology.about.com/od/conflictminerals/a/coltan.htm
CONGO and Coltan (columbite-tantalite). Regional analysts say the international demand for coltan is one of the driving forces behind the war in the DRC, and the presence of rival militias in the country.
Companies use tantalum to make a variety of electronic devices, including laptops, DVD players and cell phones.
http://geology.about.com/od/conflictminerals/a/coltan.htm
THIS COMING WINTER WE WILL FREEZE TO DEATH BECAUSE WE CANNOT AFFORD THE GAS TO DO SO! IF WE BURN WOOD TO SURVIVE THIS CONTINENT WILL BE STRIPPED OF ALL TREES AND THE DELIVERY OF FOOD WILL CEASE!
AND ALL OF ITS CITIZENS WILL CRY AS THEY DIE!
You have American Economic Interests who are financially supporting murdering guerillas in a foreign country under the watch of GW Bush....
and you somehow manage to blame H. Clinton and/or Obama?
Nice.
Keep drinking the koolaid....
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- next
See all 78 Comments