On Tuesday, the Attorney General's Office in Colombia charged producers and representatives from fourteen banana exporting companies with illicitly financing a faction of the defunct paramilitary group, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Allegations suggest that from 1996 to 2004, these entities engaged in financial transactions with the AUC to secure security services and operational permits within the Urabá region.
According to the office, payments were structured around a rate of three cents per dollar for every exported banana box, cumulatively reaching over 33.2 billion pesos (approximately 8.5 million dollars). These funds were funneled through "convivir," security cooperatives that ultimately supported the AUC's activities, including drug trafficking and illegal land acquisitions. The charges levied against the businessmen encompass "aggravated criminal conspiracy in the modality of promoting and financing organized armed groups outside the law."
This incident is not isolated, as the banana industry in Colombia has faced similar accusations in the past. Notably, in May 2023, Salvatore Mancuso, a former paramilitary leader, implicated the banana trading company Banadex in paramilitary affiliations.
Source: laprensalatina.com