Evil Bananas

Besides containing the death place of El Libertador, Simon Bolivar, Santa Marta and the department of Magdalena have played host to other, more sinister moments in history. And indeed, the big cargo ships from the Dole Food Company I saw in the Port of Santa Marta carry more than bananas, they also bear the tragic legacy of worker exploitation and an internal conflict often fueled by the narrow interests of foreign corporations.

No where is this intricate connection better exemplified than in the sad tale of the United Fruit Company and what has become known as the Banana Massacre of 1928, which took place not far from Santa Marta. While the complete truth is lost to history, it is known that in 1928 workers on United Fruit Company's banana plantations outside of Santa Marta went on strike seeking better pay and working conditions. Eventually it grew into the largest labor demonstration yet seen in Colombia.

What happened next remains hotly debated. Government troops opened fire on the demonstrators and killed an untold number of them. Estimates range from 50 to more than 2,000 dead.

Some historians maintain that the troops were dispatched at the urging of the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá in order to protect United Fruit Company interests in the area. And indeed, the Wikipedia page on the incident documents a series of chilling telegrams between Washington and diplomats in Colombia during the ordeal.

It remains a bitter memory in the collective conscious of Colombia and was immortalized by the country's own Nobel Laureate, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in his novel 100 Years of Solitude.

One would hope that 80 years later such an insidious intersection of commercial interest and political violence would be a distant memory. However, the United Fruit Company, now known by the more family friendly Chiquita brand (with that pretty lady with the fruit on her head), has been accused of, and indeed plead guilty to, funding the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a right-wing paramilitary group listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government and guilty of countless atrocities in Colombia.

Now, Chiquita had to cough up $25 million USD last year to the U.S. Department of Justice due to these activities. But for a company that has an estimated annual revenue of about $4 billion USD, that's pretty small bananas.

Any hope that the executives of the company, who were fully aware of the activities, will be extradited to Colombia to face criminal charges is...uh...a long shot to say the least.

Here's a tip. If you want to avoid facing justice for the human rights violations committed by your multi-national corporation, like former Chiquita CEO and person-who-gives-white-guys-a-bad-name Carl Lindner, Jr., it helps to be a top Republican party donor. Dropping $250,000 on George W. Bush's second inaguaration ain't bad either.

Apologies to anyone not able to enjoy a banana ever again. Don't blame the fruit, its not it's fault its delicious.