Aguirre defends Chiquita payments on 60 Minutes
Chiquita Brands International Inc. CEO Fernando Aguirre, speaking Sunday on the CBS news show "60 Minutes," said the company made payments to Colombian terrorist groups to save the lives of its employees.
Aguirre, speaking to "60 Minutes" host Steve Kroft, insisted the Cincinnati-based company had no choice but to make the payments to guerilla groups that controlled the areas where it had banana operations. After Aguirre became CEO, Chiquita ended the payments and sold off its Colombian subsidiary.
A guerilla leader, now in prison, who was interviewed by Kroft for the show, said that other companies also made payments, and named U.S. fruit companies Dole and Del Monte. Both companies denied the accusations, according to "60 Minutes."
Chiquita is still feeling the repercussions, including several lawsuits filed by families of people killed by the guerillas, who claim the company is liable because its money helped fund the guerilla groups.
Chiquita cooperated in a U.S. Justice Department probe and agreed to pay a $25 million fine for its actions. The Colombian government is still investigating the matter, and has threatened to extradite Chiquita executives, and Congressman William Delahunt, D.-Mass., is conducting a probe as well.
Chiquita (NYSE: CQB) is a marketer and distributor of fresh and packaged produce in Europe and North America.