On Sept. 30, 1994, in Guatemala, Carlos Ermelindo Veliz Tobar, secretary of agreements for the workers' union at a plantation called "Chinook," was shot to death in broad daylight by two men who drove onto the nearby Kickapoo plantation. The men then drove off and escaped. No arrests have been made. Police in Guatemala continue their investigation.
Both Chinook and Kickapoo farms are controlled by a company called COBIGUA and sell bananas exclusively to Chiquita. Through its attorneys, Chiquita declined to define its relationship with COBIGUA, citing competitive reasons. However documents provided to the Enquirer by Chiquita sources show that COBIGUA, in fact, is controlled by Chiquita.
Chiquita issued a statement through its attorneys that the company had no knowledge of, or any involvement in, the shooting of Mr. Veliz.
The country's presidential human rights committee, COPREDEH, also investigated the murder and issued a report quoting a union official that the case was not an act of violence against the union movement and was probably the result of personal problems.
But the banana workers' union, Union Sindical de Trabajadores de Guatemala (UNISTRAGUA), has issued a formal statement labeling Mr. Veliz's death "an assassination" (translation) and demanding the government find his killers. The union also attacked the COPREDEH report and stated that the murder was not a personal matter, but instead an attempt to quell union activity.
The union noted that COBIGUA's security force has strict control over all vehicles entering and leaving the plantations. However, the killers drove onto the plantation, repeatedly shot Mr. Veliz and then drove away with no COBIGUA security guard recording the arrival or departure of the vehicle, according to the union statement.
A U.S.-based human rights group with offices in Guatemala also has investigated the killing. The group sent representatives to interview workers on the farm. The U.S. - Guatemala Labor Education Project, a Chicago-based non-profit group supporting workers' rights in Guatemala, concluded that facts of the killing make it appear anti- union in nature, according to Robert Perillo, the group's representative in Guatemala.
On Nov. 4, 1994, Stephen Coats, executive director of the project, wrote to Carl Lindner, Chiquita's chief executive officer, asking him to inquire into the shooting.
"One of the disturbing aspects of this case is that security guards failed to record in their log the arrival or departure of the vehicle, suggesting possible collusion between plantation personnel and the killers," he wrote.
Mr. Coats went on to state that he hoped Chiquita officials would tell "the owners" of the Chinook farm to improve security since other workers said they had received death threats. Mr. Coats did not know that Chinook was controlled by Chiquita through COBIGUA, but he did know the farm sold its bananas exclusively to Chiquita.
"Given the element of danger and fear involved, we would appreciate your response to our request as soon as possible," Mr. Coats wrote.
Chiquita never responded, according to Mr. Coats
(Copyright 1998)
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